UN Resolution Ramps Up Cross-Regional International Pressure on Iran’s Human Rights Crisis

(21 November 2011) The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran welcomed the resolution concerning Iran’s grave human rights violations, adopted today by the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (GA).

“We embrace the adoption of this resolution and encourage UN member states to continue focusing international attention on Iran’s dismal rights record,” said Campaign spokesperson Hadi Ghaemi.

Soltani To File Suit Against Javad Larijani for False Terrorist Accusation

One day after Mohammad Javad Larijani claimed that distinguished human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, who is currently inside Evin Prison, was connected to terrorist groups, his wife, Massoumeh Dehghan, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Soltani has never faced such an accusation and that he and his lawyers will be filing a lawsuit against Larijani for the false accusations he leveled against her husband.

“Only One Signature Away From Freedom,” Says Lawyer to Americans

Massoud Shafiee, lawyer of the two imprisoned Americans, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the two prisoners are only one signature away from freedom. “The judge, whose signature is required, will be on vacation until Tuesday and so we must wait until Tuesday for Josh and Shane’s release,” Shafiee told the Campaign.

“No,” Says Head of Iran’s Judiciary to Special Rapporteur on Human Rights

Only a few weeks after the United Nation’s Human Rights Council appointed Maldivian Ahmed Shaheed as UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights for Iran, the Head of Iran’s Judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, made public statements denying access to the Special Rapporteur. “Our policy is not to accept the Rapporteur. We believe that we are among the first countries to claim observing human rights,” Larijani said. So far, Iranian Members of Parliament and other political figures close to the government have admonished and criticized the appointment of a Special Rapporteur, but the Iranian Judiciary had so far maintained silence about it. Given the current climate, it seems unlikely the Special Rapporteur will be traveling to Iran anytime soon.

Official Distortion & Disinformation: A Guide to Iran’s Human Rights Crisis

Amidst Iran’s deepening crisis, officials are doing all they can to prevent outside scrutiny of human rights conditions in the country, while proclaiming to respect their international obligations. Mohammad-Javad Larijani, head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, along with other officials representing Iran abroad, consistently obfuscate any serious international discussion of the country’s deteriorating human rights record by engaging in distortion or misrepresentation of facts and by diverting criticism with discussion of issues extraneous to their record. The Campaign has compiled public statements made by Larijani and other Iranian officials and compared them with the actual record of human rights abuses carried out in Iran.

Javad Larijani’s Admission to Ineffective Death Penalties for Drug Traffickers

While the number of executions related to drug trafficking has startlingly increased in the recent months in Iran, a foreign diplomat told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Javad Larijani, Chief of the Iranian Judiciary’s Human Rights Council, has expressed in his meetings with foreign authorities that the policy of executing drug-related criminals has been unsuccessful, and that capital punishment has not reduced drug-related social maladies.

Weekly Rights Podcast 20

In this week’s ‘Weekly Rights Podcast’: Nasrin Sotoudeh is charged with not wearing a hejad for not wearing a headscarf in a 2008 YouTube video and Mohammad Javad Larijani comments on her charges; Christian pastors Youcef Nadarkhani and Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani are being charged with apostasy; labor activist Reza Shahabi remains on hunger strike after being arrested for his labor activities; blogger Hossein Derakhshan is released on two-day furlough after being in prison for two years and being sentenced to 19.5 years in prison; student activist Ashkan Zahabian was arrested in his home in Babol without a warrant.

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Sotoudeh’s Husband Reacts to Javad Larijani’s New Charges Against Her

Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan, spoke with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran about the new charges raised against Sotoudeh after she began her third hunger strike since her arrest. “Mrs. Sotoudeh called home on Monday and talked to me and the children for a few minutes. She remains on hunger strike and said that she was taken to the court yesterday and informed of new charges against her,” Khandan said. He also reacted to recent allegations made by the chief of the Iranian judiciary’s human rights council, Mohammad Javad Larijani.

UN Resolution on Iran’s Human Rights Violations Approved by Huge Margin

(18 November 2010) The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly’s strong approval of a draft resolution, condemning Iran for grave human right violations, is a welcome step in the continuing effort to put a stoplight on the country’s growing human rights crisis, said the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today.

The General Assembly will formally adopt the resolution in December. UN human rights bodies should put in place mechanisms to hold Iran accountable for its rights abuses and toward implementing the resolution, the Campaign added.

The resolution was passed with 80 votes in favor, 44 against, and 57 abstentions. During the proceedings, Iran’s highest human rights official, Mohammad Javad Larijani, who has traveled to New York to lobby against the resolution, filed a No Action Motion (NAM), a procedural move attempting to prevent the vote from taking place. But Iran’s maneuver failed glaringly with a vote of 91 against, 51 in favor, and 32 abstentions.

Amputations and Floggings on the Rise

(13 October 2010) The Iranian Parliament and Judiciary should immediately abolish cruel and inhumane punishments, such as limb amputation, stoning, and flogging, consistent with Iran’s international obligations, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

In recent days Iranian officials have acknowledged that amputations have been carried out and an increasing number of flogging sentences have been issued for post-election protestors.

“These inhumane and barbaric acts are nothing but torture under international law and should be abolished,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the Campaign’s spokesperson.

The head of the Iranian delegation to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council in February and June 2010, Mohammad Javad Larijani, told the Council that Iran does not consider such punishments as torture and that they are culturally justified.