Our Oral Statement at the 35th Special Session of the Human Rights Council
We took the floor at the 35th Special Session of the Human Rights
Council on November 24th to highlight the human rights violations against women,
children, and ethnic minorities in Iran. Here's the oral statement,
delivered by our partner Mr. Taimoor Aliassi, from the Association for
Human Rights in Kurdistan of Iran Geneva, a fellow member of the World
Coalition Against the Death Penalty. After delivering the statement,
Taimoor told us, "I wish to express my deepest gratitude for helping us
to make a voice in [the special session] on Iran. As the French
philosopher Albert Camus said: 'Nothing is more noble than defending a
people whose rights to speak is taken.'"
Text of the statement, delivered November 24, 2022:
"Mr. President,
The
Advocates for Human Rights, Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort, and
Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva support the establishment of
an independent international fact-finding mission to Iran.
Since
nationwide protests began after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a young
Kurdish woman, authorities have killed over 400 people, including 50
children and 27 women.
Authorities have detained thousands of
people for joining peaceful protests. They have sentenced to death at
least six people connected to the protests, based on vague charges of
waging war against God (moharebeh) or corruption on earth (efsad-e
fel-arz).
We are deeply concerned by authorities' use of
excessive force against protestors, in particular in Baluchistan and
Iranian Kurdistan provinces. There are confirmed killings of at least
126 Baluchis and 100 Kurdish protestors-including women and minors. The
Kurdish cities of Mahabad and Juwanrud are militarized and people face
an imminent risk of a massacre.
We also strongly deplore the
enforced disappearances of injured and killed protestors and
authorities' refusal to release the bodies of the deceased to their
families, or making the release of bodies contingent upon the families
not speaking to the media or agreeing to support authorities' false
explanation of the cause of death.
Under international law,
minorities have a right to protection. We call on the international
community to take urgent action to stop human rights violations against
the protestors, including Kurds and Baluchis, and to put an end to
Iran's long history of impunity.
Thank you."
