Iran’s contempt for human rights on display at the UN

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Friday February 19, 2010 00:39 by Amnesty International - Ireland - Amnesty International

amnesty International today criticised Iran for rejecting important recommendations by the United Nations to improve human rights in the country. The Iranian Government was before the UN Human Rights Council this week to defend its track record on human rights and came in for tough criticism from Ireland.

amnesty International today criticised Iran for rejecting important recommendations by the United Nations to improve human rights in the country. The Iranian Government was before the UN Human Rights Council this week to defend its track record on human rights and came in for tough criticism from Ireland.

“By rejecting specific recommendations made by dozens of countries the Iranian authorities showed contempt for their international obligations just as they have done in their treatment of their own people,” said Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of amnesty International Ireland.

“Their promise to only consider recommendations to eliminate the execution of juvenile offenders is a cynical way to duck the fact that they are violating their existing commitment under the Convention on the Rights of the Child not to execute juveniles.”

amnesty International Ireland welcomed the strong line taken by the Irish Government.

“When Ireland’s turn to question Iran on human rights came up our representative made clear the Irish people’s serious concern about attacks on human rights activists and the crackdown by the Iranian authorities on peaceful protestors,” said Colm O’Gorman.

“Ireland also highlighted Iran’s enthusiastic use of the death penalty, where it is second only to China in the number of executions carried out every year.”

The recommendations from the UN rejected by Iran include: ending the execution of juvenile offenders; upholding fair trial guarantees, investigating torture allegations, including rape and releasing people detained for peacefully exercising their human rights.

The Iran delegation also only paid lip service to cooperation with the Human Rights Council. While accepting a recommendation to cooperate with UN’s human rights experts, Iran rejected several others to allow the Council’s Special Rapporteur on torture to visit the country.

Iran has said it is carrying out investigations into cases of torture and killing that occurred following the unrest that occurred following the presidential election in June 2009. However, despite reports of parliamentary investigations, no one appears to have been brought to justice over the killing of Neda Agha Soltan, a peaceful demonstrator who was shot in a street in June 2009 or Mohsen Ruholamini who died in custody in July 2009.

On the other hand, it rejected recommendations on investigations of torture allegations and unlawful killings.

The country’s authorities also said they would strengthen cooperation with human rights organisations, yet they have failed to respond to repeated requests by amnesty International to meet with members of the Iranian delegation.

”For human rights to really improve in Iran, the authorities must end the double-speak and take concrete measures, like ending the execution of juvenile offenders; ensure fair trials; halt torture and end impunity for all violations,” said Colm O’Gorman.