Amnesty Int. urges action to address ‘deplorable’ human rights record in Iran

Hassan has failed to address the regime’s ‘deplorable’ record on human rights, Amnesty International has said in a new report.
The human rights organization also expressed it’s ‘alarm’ at the rate of executions which have increased under Rouhani’s first 100 days in office.
Meanwhile, Iran’s prisons remained full of political prisoners, many of whom are being abused and deprived of urgent medical treatment, Amnesty said.
It was now crucial that ongoing widespread human rights abuses in Iran were not overshadowed by the international focus of the regime’s nuclear program, the report stated.
It said: “The organization urges the Iranian authorities to go beyond the rhetoric and to take urgent and concrete measures to address the country’s deplorable human rights situation.
“For years, Iran’s human rights situation has been overshadowed, both internationally and at home, by discussions about the country’s nuclear programme. Now that an agreement has been reached, there must not be any more delays in addressing Iran’s dire human rights situation.
“Iran’s prisons remain full of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, many of whom suffer from lack of adequate medical care.”
Academic freedoms were also being restricted, with discriminatory policies barring the access of women and religious minorities to higher education, Amnesty said.
It added: “Human rights violations are rife in Iran. Torture and other-ill treatment, particularly during pre-trial detention are common and are committed with impunity.
“Scores of prisoners of conscience including, journalists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, and students continue to receive grossly unfair trials based on vaguely worded national security charges.
“Women and members of ethnic and religious minorities continue to face widespread discrimination in law and practice.
“Despite its 2002 standing invitation, Iran has ignored repeated requests from UN human rights experts to visit the country and has not allowed in the country any such mechanism since 2005.”