In a letter to members of the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, along with 14 other human rights organizations, called for the extension of the mandate of Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, and for the Islamic Republic to be held accountable for widespread human rights abuses.
The letter’s signatories expressed concern about the dire human rights situation in Iran, citing the recent report by Javid Rahman at the most recent Geneva meeting, including an increase in the number of executions in Iran, violent crackdowns on protesters and minorities.
Another letter signed by 37 human rights organizations active in Iran, referring to the various dimensions of human rights violations in Iran, especially in the field of women and minorities, called on the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Iran.
The signatories of this letter, referring to the “widespread and systematic violation of human rights” in Iran, stressed that “in such circumstances, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran to monitor, document and report to the UN Human Rights Council is greater than ever.” “It’s more vital.”
Javid Rehman was introduced as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran in July 2018 by a vote of the UN Human Rights Council.
The 51-year-old Pakistani-British lawyer, born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, holds a doctorate in international law.
This human rights activist has conducted research on religious freedom, international human rights law, and Islamic law, and in recent years has produced numerous documented reports of human rights violations in Iran.
Human rights organizations in Iran have also called on the Human Rights Council to put more pressure on the Iranian government to allow Javid Rahman to visit the country indefinitely and not allow the cycle of impunity for Iranian officials to continue.
Mr. Rehman has said that despite repeated requests from Islamic Republic officials, he has not been allowed to travel to Iran and visit prisoners.
Iranian government officials, who see the appointment of the UN Special Rapporteur as a political move, have generally rejected the reporter’s reports without responding to the documents in his reports, and have not welcomed Mr. Rehman’s visit to Iran.
In his latest special report, Javid Rehman stated that cases such as “systematic violations” of the judicial process and the lack of a fair trial and “serious shortcomings” within the framework of Iranian judicial law have doubled the need for Iranian government officials to be held accountable for human rights violations.