UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Human rights situation in Iran is worrying
Zeid Ra'ad Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has listed Iran as one of the countries of concern in terms of human rights.
Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, September 10, Mr. Hussein mentioned the severe restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression and the arrest of human rights defenders, journalists, and social media activists. The High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed to widespread mistreatment of prisoners and said that even the judiciary treats criminals in a very inhumane manner.
He said that Iran had the highest execution rate in the world, many of which were drug-related, but such crimes are not considered capital offenses in the world.
Iran was one of several countries that Mr. Hussein mentioned in his speech at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, marking the start of his final year in office, regarding the state of human rights in the world.
The human rights situation in Iran has drawn criticism from many international organizations and human rights defenders in recent years. The high number of executions, the repression of religious and ethnic minorities, the violation of freedom of expression, and the imprisonment of dissidents and civil activists are among the behaviors of the Iranian government that have been criticized.
Part of the US sanctions against the Islamic Republic are due to human rights violations in Iran. The US State Department submitted to Congress in May last month a report on sanctions against individuals and officials of the Islamic Republic related to human rights violations.
Amnesty International also published a detailed report detailing numerous cases of harassment and imprisonment of human rights defenders in Iran, stating that the judicial and security apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran treats human rights defenders as criminals and opponents of the government.
Source: Voice of America
