Judicial and Security Institutions Obstruct Human Rights Observance in Iran

Human Rights Watch, in a report on the state of human rights worldwide in 2018, has accused the Iranian government of arbitrary mass arrests and increased pressure on peaceful activities.

Human Rights Watch stated in its annual report on the state of human rights globally in 2018: “In 2018, Iranian authorities responded to protests across the country protesting deteriorating economic conditions, widespread perception of corruption, and lack of political and social freedoms with arbitrary mass arrests.”

According to the human rights organization, authorities of the Islamic Republic have intensified pressure on peaceful activities by detaining lawyers, human rights defenders, and women’s rights activists.

The organization pointed to the detention of environmental activists who have been imprisoned for over a year, and according to the report, four of them face charges of spreading corruption on earth, which could result in death sentences.

The report also references the death of Kavous Seyed-Emami and states: “Authorities claimed he committed suicide but did not conduct any independent investigation.”

Sara Lee Whitson, director of Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, said: “Iran’s leaders blame the world for their problems but do not look in the mirror to see how their systematic repression increases the grievances of Iranians.”

According to her: “Iran’s security apparatus and its repressive and unaccountable judiciary are serious obstacles to respecting and protecting human rights.”

Detention of Foreign Nationals and Dual Citizens

Human Rights Watch stated in its report that since 2014, the intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has detained at least 14 foreign nationals and dual citizens accused of links with Western academic, economic, and cultural institutions. All these individuals are accused of “cooperation with a hostile state.”

Nazanin Zaghari, Maryam Hosseinpour Chavoshi, Baquer and Siamak Namazi are among the dual citizens who have been imprisoned for some time.

At Least 30 People Killed During Protests

According to Human Rights Watch, during street protests in December 2017, at least 30 people were killed, and Iranian authorities have conducted no investigation into the cause of these deaths.

The street protests in December of the previous year initially began in Mashhad in protest against inflation and the economic policies of the Rouhani government but quickly spread to many other Iranian cities, and the slogans shifted from protests against inflation to harsh political slogans against the Islamic Republic.

During these protests, numerous people were arrested, and some were killed and injured.

Protests Against Mandatory Hijab

Human Rights Watch mentioned in its report girls who removed their headscarves in the street in protest against mandatory hijab and became known as “Girls of Revolution Street,” stating: “Security forces suppressed peaceful protests against unjust hijab laws. They arrested Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, her husband Reza Khandan, and Farhad Meissami, another human rights defender.”

Nasrin Sotoudeh has been imprisoned since June. Her husband Reza Khandan was also imprisoned for several months. Civil activist Farhad Meissami has been imprisoned for approximately five months.

Human Rights Watch welcomed the halt of executions of drug traffickers but condemned the execution of at least five individuals convicted of crimes committed before age 18.

The Situation Globally Has Improved

Human Rights Watch’s annual report noted that due to the spread of hate speech and growing intolerance globally, resistance movements against these phenomena have formed and strengthened.

The human rights organization considered the expansion of “resistance against authoritarians and populists” in most countries as the message of the past year.

Kent Rath, executive director of Human Rights Watch, stated on this matter: “Populists who spread hate and intolerance create a resistance that will ultimately triumph in this struggle.”

He continued: “Victory is not guaranteed, but the successful experiences of previous years show that abuse of authoritarian power creates a reciprocal human resistance.”

Human Rights Watch examined the state of human rights in over 100 countries in its 29-page annual report. This review concluded that human rights conditions have not improved everywhere, and authoritarians have continued efforts to weaken democracy.

According to the report, authoritarian governments have attempted to weaken tools of democratic control, including an independent judiciary, free media, and strong civil society organizations.

Source: DW