Serious Warning from Over 100 Iranian Civil Activists Regarding Dire Consequences of Military Conflict

In response to escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, 116 human rights defenders inside and outside Iran have issued a statement warning of the “devastating” consequences of a military confrontation between the two countries.

Human Rights Campaign in Iran, one of the organizers of this statement, said: “A military attack on Iran could lead to a rapid humanitarian crisis and will only contribute to regional destabilization, which is already facing difficulties.”

The signatories of this statement include activists, lawyers, journalists, and civil and political activists residing both in Iran and abroad.

The text of the statement is as follows:

We, Iranian and international human rights organizations and defenders, by signing this statement, express our serious concerns about the escalating tensions between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran. These tensions significantly increase the risk of military confrontation and will lead to human rights catastrophes. We call on all parties, organizations, and international institutions to take necessary and immediate measures to prevent this confrontation.
The impact of any military action against Iran, as we have seen in Iran’s neighboring countries, will be devastating. This will likely lead to mounting humanitarian and human rights crises and will only cause regional instability that is already facing multiple problems. Only policies focused on peace that prioritize human rights and the welfare of ordinary people in Iran and the region can have meaningful and long-term benefits.

We signatories of this statement have a deep understanding of Iran’s problems, including human rights challenges and corruption in certain sectors of government. As human rights activists, we have dedicated our lives to promoting the rights of women and girls, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, workers, journalists, students, LGBTQ individuals, artists, and political prisoners in Iran. We have fought for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, fair trial rights, socio-economic rights of the Iranian people, and ending discrimination. We have consistently opposed the Iranian authorities’ abuse of power to adopt repressive policies, and now with the same approach, we warn about the threats arising from military conflict.

We are also concerned that military action against Iran will be catastrophic for millions of ordinary Iranian people and could lead to violent internal conflicts, examples of which have been seen in neighboring countries. The instability resulting from war in these countries has caused confrontations and conflicts between different groups of people and ultimately led to more widespread human rights violations in these countries.

Many human rights defenders in Iran have expressed concern that extensive economic sanctions imposed by the United States have made their human rights activities more difficult. Many of these activists are struggling to manage their lives amid the economic crisis Iran is currently facing. This is while their human rights activities have become more dangerous in an increasingly securitized environment. The threat of war has always strengthened government security approaches, and security apparatus has used it as an excuse to suppress activists.

We fear that under these circumstances, minority groups that already have very little space for civil activity will face the highest levels of suppression. Many Iranian human rights defenders are concerned that military conflict will give Iranian security forces the opportunity to completely halt their civil and peaceful activities.

These concerns reflect some of the possible consequences of military conflict with Iran and emphasize the need to find peaceful and legal solutions to any tensions between countries.

We call on all parties to refrain from the potential outbreak of war. We also request the UN Secretary-General, the European Union, Japan, and countries in the region that have previously worked for peace and reconciliation to intervene to prevent the outbreak of war and significant potential human rights catastrophes.

Respectfully,

Kaveh Azirnosh, Senior Researcher at Small Media

Amin Ahmadian, Member of the Central Council of Advar Takkim

Niki Akhavan, Professor of Media Studies at Catholic University of America

Leila Asadi, PhD Student

Kamran Ashtari, Director of Third Space Organization

Daysi Schmidt, Director of Women’s Rights Section at International Federation of Human Rights Societies

Zainab Asgarpour, Political Activist, Member of Central Council of Advar Takkim Party

Aarifa Eliassi, Women’s Activist

Mahdi Aminzadeh, Political Activist

Mohammad Oliayifard, Human Rights Lawyer

Masoud Bastani, Journalist

Nargis Bajaghi, Researcher and Assistant Professor at School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University

Freidoun Bashr, Director of Article 19

Rudi Bakhtiar, Correspondent

Emad Bahavor, Political Activist

Maryam Behrman, Women’s Rights Activist

Hamed Bahrowan, Director of Movements Organization

Frangis Beyat, Researcher

Amir Beyani, Head of Middle East Section at Article 19

Shahriyar Pak Nia, University Professor and Researcher

Azadeh Pourzand, Director of Siamak Pourzand Foundation

Mohammad Pourabbasi, Political Activist

Zainab Peyghmarzadeh, Gender Equality Activist

Nirah Tohidi, Professor at California State University

Setareh Sabati, Correspondent

Sepideh Jadeeri, Women’s Rights Activist and Poet, Secretary and Founder of Iran Women’s Poetry Award (Khurshid)

Mahri Jafari, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist

Gisou Jahangiri, Women’s Rights Defender – Director of International Federation of Human Rights Societies

Mahdiyeh Javid, Human Rights Lawyer

Aydin Hasanlu, Journalist

Maryam Hossein Khah, Correspondent

Mahabubeh Hosseinzadeh, Women’s Rights Activist

Mu Hosseini, Middle East Program Director at Article 19

Sirous Hosseinifar, Artist

Fatimeh Haghighatju, Director of Nonviolence for Democracy Organization – Former Parliament Representative

Aazam Khatem, Researcher and University Professor

Mostafa Khosravi, Communications Manager at Third Space

Nasim Khosravi Moghaddam, Women’s Activist, Writer and Theater Director

Farhad Davudi, Writer and Translator

Majid Dari, Social Activist

Parasto Doukohki, Women’s Rights Defender

Neilam Raina, Assistant Professor at Middlesex University

Niloofar Rajaeifar, Actress

Samiyeh Rashidi, Women’s Rights Defender

Sabra Rezaei, Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Activist

Negar Rezavi, Teacher, Researcher and Guest Lecturer in Anthropology at College of William & Mary

Kiyan Rafiee, Human Rights Activist

Simin Rozgard, Human Rights Activist

Hossein Reis, Lawyer and Human Rights Professor

Afsaneh Rigot, Director at Middle East Section of Article 19

Mitra Zargar, Sociologist and Human Rights Promoter

Musa Sakat, Political and Civil Activist, Member of Central Council of Advar Takkim Unity Organization

Afsaneh Salari, Film Producer

Zhinus Sobhani, Human Rights Activist, Women’s and Children’s Activist

Isa Saharkhiz, Journalist

Nasim Sarabandi, Women’s Rights Activist

Sima Saeidi, Former Journalist, Entrepreneur

Amir Soltani, Author of Behesht Zahra Book

Maedeh Soltani, Human Rights Activist

Ayda Saadat, Women’s Rights and Human Rights Activist

Rad Sanjabi, Human Rights Lawyer

Sima Shakhsari, University of Minnesota Professor

Afshin Shahi, Senior Professor of International Relations at University of Bradford

Mansoureh Shojaei, Researcher and Women’s Movement Activist

Kevin Schumacher, Human Rights Defender

Touraj Sabriwind, Social Activist

Mahdis Sadeghipoya, Gender Studies Researcher

Faraz Sanei, Human Rights Lawyer

Parveen Zarbi, Environmental, Peace and Women’s Rights Activist

Bita Tahabaz, Women’s Rights Activist

Maziar Tatai, Lawyer

Sousan Tahmasebi, Women’s Rights Activist and Director of Femina – Independent Organization Defending Women’s Rights

Arash Azizi, Writer, Researcher and PhD Student at New York University

Leila Alikarami, Human Rights Lawyer and Women’s Rights Defender

Mahsa Alimardani, Technology and Human Rights Researcher and Student at Oxford University and Researcher at Article 19

Roja Fazeli, University Professor

Nima Fatemi, Civil/Political Activist, Independent Information Security Researcher and Founder of Kandu Organization

Reza Fani Yazdi, Human Rights Activist

Alireza Firouzi, Former Student Activist

Reza Ghazi Nouri, Human Rights Activist

Hadi Ghayemi, Director of Human Rights Campaign in Iran

Samiyeh Ghodousi, Social Researcher

Saqi Ghahremani, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Iran Organization

Mehrangiz Kar, Lawyer and Women’s Rights Activist

Parisa Kakaei, Women’s and Children’s Rights Activist

Hadi Kehzal Zadeh, Social Policy Researcher at Brandeis University – Boston

Mina Keshavarzi, Film and Documentary Director and Producer

Noushin Keshavarznia, Women’s Rights Activist

Parveen Kohzadi, Journalist and Civil Activist

Mahdiyeh Golrou, Women’s Activist

Masoud Ledni, National Religious Activist

James Marshend, Director of Small Media

Negar Motahedeh, University Professor

Firouzeh Mahmoudi, Director of Union for Iran Organization

Mehtab Mahmoudi, Women’s Rights Activist

Sohrab Mokhtari, Writer and Translator

Ahmad Madadi, Former Member of Teachers’ Association, Teachers’ Rights Activist

Maryam Mazrouei, War Photographer, Correspondent

Saronaz Mostofi, Artist

Laleh Mostofi, Director

Mani Mostofi, Senior Human Rights Advisor at Union for Iran Organization

Zahra Moshtagh, Journalist

Alieh Motalebzadeh, Women’s Rights Activist and Journalist

Sara Massoumi, Journalist

Fery Malik Madani, Women’s Activist

Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeini, Sixth Parliament Representative of Iran

Mehrnush Mohammadian, Activist

Manizhe Moazzen, Journalist

Azin Mohajeerin, Social Activist and Researcher

Anna Mi, Development and Operations Director at Article 19

Rozbe Mirabrahimi, Researcher and Journalist

Nahid Mirhaj, Women’s Rights Activist

Ziba Mirhoseini, London University Researcher

Ziaud Nabavi, Student Activist

Mojtaba Najafi, Researcher

Gisou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer

Sohila Vahdat, Independent Researcher

Adreena van Hettren, Director of Small Media

Kayra Vigart, Lawyer at Free Asia Organization

Sorna Hashemi, Program Director at Net Freedom Organization

Thomas Hughes, Director of Article 19

 

Source: Human Rights Campaign in Iran