Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, October 27, 2020—In its 75th session, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which focuses on social and human rights issues around the world, discussed the abysmal human rights situation in Iran on Monday.
“A clear pattern is emerging of an attempt to silence public dissent over the social, economic and political situation in Iran. In recent months, death sentences and executions have taken place against individuals alleged to have taken part in protests,”Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, said in his address to the committee.
Rahman described the arbitrary execution of Iranian political prisoners Navid Afkari in September as an “emblematic case.”
“This grievous violation of the right to life is the latest execution in a series of protest-related death sentences, despite allegations of torture-induced forced confessions and other serious fair trial violations,” Rahman said.
Prior to Afkari, Mostafa Salehi, another political prisoner, was executed in August. Other political prisoners are on death row and under constant pressure from regime officials. Of special concern are protesters arrested during the November 2019 uprisings. During those demonstrations, Iranian security forces murdered 1,500 protesters and arrested several thousand others. Many prisoners have died under torture in the regime’s prisons and the fate of others are still unknown.
Courtney Nemroff, the Deputy U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council, who also spoke at the session, also raised concern about the case of Navid Afkari and other political prisoners, as well as the regime’s ongoing human rights abuses.
“We remain concerned about death sentences imposed following unfair trials and forced confessions reportedly obtained through torture. The most vicious recent example is the execution of wrestler Navid Afkari on September 12,” Nemroff said.
The Iranian regime routinely executes political prisoners, often following unfair trials & forced confessions. Just like Ayatollah Khomeini’s “Death Commissions” in 1988, there are no transparent investigations into the regime’s killings. History should not keep repeating itself.
— Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (@StateDRL) October 26, 2020
Nemroff stressed that the regime has enjoyed impunity in its criminal activities since 1979 and called for an independent investigation into the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.
“We call on the international community to carry out an independent investigation, including the alleged involvement of the current head of the judiciary and Minister of Justice,” Nemroff said, referring to judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, who was one of the key players of the 1988 massacre.
These comments come as Iran has seen an uptick in repressive measures by the government. Earlier this month, the regime’s security forces murdered several youths in the streets. Security authorities have also been boasting about making mass arrests under the pretext of dealing with thugs. Meanwhile, conditions in Iran’s prisons continue to deteriorate, especially for political prisoners.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has repeatedly called on international bodies to intervene on the human rights situation in Iran, especially the conditions of political prisoners.
With the new wave of arrests & prison sentences in #Iran, the PMOI/MEK families & supporters are being pressured, intimidated & harassed. I urge the UN Sec. Gen., the High Commissioner for Human Rights to send a delegation to visit the prisons, prisoners and their families.
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 9, 2020
