Javid Rahman Concerned Over Persecution of Religious Minorities
Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur, expressed concern over the continued persecution of religious minorities.
Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur, presented his sixth report on human rights violations in Iran on Monday, March 18, at a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In this report, he expressed serious concern about the continued harassment, torture, and arbitrary detention of individuals belonging to unrecognized religious and sectarian minorities in Iran, including Christians who have converted from Islam to Christianity, Bahá’ís, and Sufis, including members of the Gonabadi dervishes.
On the 14th of Esfand, Javid Rahman reported on the increase in executions in the previous calendar year, the continued suppression of women, persecution of human rights defenders and journalists, torture of prisoners, and severe discrimination against minorities including Christians in Iran. He said in his latest report on Monday: “Impunity and the Islamic Republic’s lack of accountability for human rights violations is one of the Islamic Republic’s significant, tragic, and recurring characteristics.”
Javid Rahman said at the beginning of his report: “Ongoing executions and the increase in death sentences during my reporting period are extremely alarming. At least 834 people were executed in 2023, representing a 43 percent increase from 2022. Of the reported executions in 2023, 471 executions—approximately 56.5 percent—were for drug-related charges. As of December 31, 2023, since nationwide protests began in September 2022, unfortunately Iranian authorities have executed 9 people for participating in the protests. Despite serious concerns expressed by myself and the international community, child executions in Iran have continued, with at least one execution reported in 2023. One of the highest rates of women’s executions in the country has also been recorded, with at least 22 women executed in 2023.”
In addition to Javid Rahman, Sara Hussein, chair of the Fact-Finding Committee on human rights violations during the 1401 protests in Iran, also presented her report at the Geneva session. In her report, she spoke of severe, widespread, and systematic attacks on women and girls, human rights defenders, torture, extrajudicial executions, sexual violence, and rape, stating: “In some of these cases, these acts constitute serious violations of human rights amounting to crimes against humanity.”
As Javid Rahman’s six-year mandate as UN Special Rapporteur comes to an end, more than 40 international and Iranian human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Article 18, and Article 19, have issued and signed a statement urging member states of the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur and the Fact-Finding Committee.
Human rights organizations, while emphasizing the continued violation and severe repression of millions of Iranians, including women, girls, and ethnic, religious, and sectarian minorities such as Christians, Bahá’ís, Gonabadi dervishes, Sunnis, and Baluchis, stated: “Renewal of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate is necessary, as the human rights crisis in Iran is severe and involves ongoing crimes against international law and serious human rights violations that affect millions of people in Iran and restrict a wide range of rights.”
