The United Nations special rapporteur for monitoring the human rights situation in Iran, on Monday March 28, in his final report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, announced a 43 percent increase in executions in 2023 and the continuation of the alarming human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

While expressing his regret that despite continuous requests during his mission, he was never given permission to travel to Iran by the Islamic Republic, he called the human rights situation in this country extremely worrying.

”The ongoing executions and the increase in death sentences during my reporting period are deeply disturbing,” he said at the beginning of his report. At least 834 people were executed in 2023, which has increased by 43% compared to 2022. Of the number of executions reported in 2023, 471 executions—approximately 56.5 percent—were on drug-related charges. As of December 31, 2023, since the nationwide protests began in September 2022, Iranian authorities have unfortunately executed 9 people for participating in the protests.

The UN Special Rapporteur added: ”Despite the serious concerns expressed by me and the international community, the execution of children continues in Iran and at least one execution has been reported in 2023. One of the highest rates of execution of women has been recorded in this country, at least 22 women have been executed in 2023.

Continuing his report, Javed Rahman criticized the illegal process and unfair trial in Iran and said: ”The number of death sentences without a legal process and the right to a fair trial is extremely worrying. There are also allegations of torture and ill-treatment of the ”accused” in custody, and they have been repeatedly denied access to lawyers, and lawyers have not been allowed to defend their clients.”

In another part of his report, he addressed the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran and said: ”The situation of ethnic and religious minorities is still very worrying, the number of executed people from ethnic and religious minorities is disproportionately high, especially for crimes related to drugs or security.” »

According to Javed Rahman, ”the Baloch and Kurdish minorities, especially the Kolbers and fuel collectors, have been the target of arbitrary deprivation of the right to life by the government authorities through executions and killings outside of the fair judicial process.”

The United Nations Special Rapporteur added: ”The continued persecution, arbitrary arrests, and harassment of members of the Baha’i community, as well as the targeting and harassment of religious minorities, especially Christian converts and Sufis, including the Gonabadi sect, are extremely worrying.”

In the continuation of his report, referring to the arrest and harassment of civil rights activists and human rights defenders, he said: ”Harassment, threats, targeting, arrest and imprisonment of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and labor union activists to The severity is alarming. Narges Mohammadi, a prominent imprisoned human rights defender, suffers from severe health problems, including serious heart and lung conditions, and labor rights activists and journalists who report on working conditions are imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. have became.”

Javed Rehman added: ”In 2023, there were at least 1,266 trade union protests, four cases of protest suppression and 32 trade union strikes.”

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Affairs of Iran also addressed the suppression of the ”Women, Life, Freedom” movement by the government of the Islamic Republic and said: ”It is very disturbing and deadly that the government officials, with complete immunity, at least 48 women and 68 children have been unlawfully killed and a large number of women and girls have been injured, raped and brutalized during the ”Women, Life, Freedom” movement, and there are very disturbing reports of rape, torture and other forms of sexual violence in order to punish these Protesters have been released.”

Referring to ”gender apartheid in Iran” under the shadow of the government of the Islamic Republic, he said: ”Last week we celebrated International Women’s Day, however, women and girls in Iran are subjected to continuous repression, discrimination and the use of more repressive and violent police methods. against girls and women who violate the mandatory hijab laws. ”The Iranian authorities maintain a system of gender apartheid and insist on strict laws, administrative policies and practices that increasingly violate the human rights and human dignity of Iranian girls and women.”

According to Javed Rahman, more than one million text messages were sent to women with the theme that if they travel without hijab, their vehicles will be seized and thousands of times these threats have been carried out.

This senior United Nations human rights official also pointed to the closure of businesses in Iran due to the non-implementation of ”mandatory hijab laws” and as a result, the denial of a large number of women from access to education, public transportation, and banking services, and added: ”The security police Ethical has been re-established and a bill called Family Protection Bill by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab has been submitted by the Majlis to the Guardian Council. ”The bill will intensify gender segregation and introduce strict measures for ‘improper clothing’, including limiting socio-economic rights and using whipping as a form of punishment.”

In this part of his report, Javed Rahman once again requested the Islamic Republic to cancel the mandatory hijab law and remove all forms of harassment, discrimination and violence against women and girls in law and practice, and take all necessary measures to promote their equal participation. in public life and ensure that the rights of women, including human rights defenders, are protected.

He also demanded that the Islamic Republic approve and fully implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

In the final part of his report, the UN Special Rapporteur said: ”In this report, the general situation of human rights in Iran over the past six years and the extent to which the Iranian authorities have paid attention to the recommendations presented have been examined. Positive actions have been taken, such as the amendment of the drug trafficking law in 2017, which led to a reduction in drug-related executions by 2020. In the field of girls’ and women’s rights, advances such as equal access to education and increasing women’s literacy, as well as the amendment of the Nationality Law in 2019, which gives Iranian women married to non-Iranian men the right to apply for Iranian citizenship for their children under 18 years of age, have been recognized. Is.”

”However, my report shows precisely how these initiatives and achievements have been undone, rendered ineffective or have led to negative consequences due to persistent and systematic human rights violations,” he added. Unfortunately, none of the key recommendations made by the authorities have been implemented. Serious and ongoing concerns remain, such as the widespread and arbitrary deprivation of the right to life through ongoing executions, the use of force against protesters, violations of the right to a fair trial, systematic discrimination, and attacks on minorities, women and girls.

According to Javed Rahman, ”Immunity and lack of accountability for serious violations of human rights is a fundamental problem in Iran’s legal system, constitution and political environment.”

The UN special rapporteur for monitoring the situation of human rights in Iran continued: ”In addition to the need to answer the perpetrators of crimes in the ”Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the international community has been asked to establish mechanisms to answer for past events, including disappearances. Forced deportations, extrajudicial and arbitrary executions in 1981 and 1988 and protests in November 2019.

In the end, Javed Rahman pointed out that his report served as a platform for highlighting and reporting serious violations of human rights and abuses by the government officials of the Islamic Republic, and expressed his hope that the mission of the special human rights rapporteur on the situation in Iran will continue to be a voice ”Millions of Iranians who have been targeted, victimized and harassed, and whose fundamental rights have been violated continuously and with impunity, should continue.”

At the end of his six-year mission, he thanked and appreciated the people of Iran for their courage, determination, flexibility, as well as their support and positive participation in this mission.

Javed Rahman’s mission as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran’s human rights affairs began on 15 July 2018 (6 July 2018) by the United Nations Human Rights Council. His mission was extended in 1400 and 1401.

During his six-year mission, he submitted six reports to the Human Rights Council and in his reports, he has consistently condemned human rights violations in Iran.

Javed Rahman has repeatedly asked the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to fulfill their human rights obligations and has also asked the international community to take action to improve the human rights situation in Iran.

Reporter: Mardin Kakaweisi