Human Rights Watch on Iran's Human Rights abuses

Human Rights World Report 2010: Iran Targets Human Rights Messengers

Payvand, 21 January 2010.

The 612-page report, HRW’s 20th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights trends in more than 90 nations.

Human Rights Watch cited Sudan and China as countries that routinely shut down human rights groups and Iran and Uzbekistan as countries that openly harass and arbitrarily detain human rights workers and other critics.

In Iran, Human Rights Watch covered the continuing governmental crackdown on peaceful activists following the disputed presidential election of June 2009. Human Rights Watch documented the arrests of thousands of ordinary and high-profile people, providing detailed accounts of state violence against peaceful protesters, arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, and abuse and torture in Iran’s illegal detention centers.

Disbarring Lawyers

In June 2009, following the disputed presidential elections, the Iranian government adopted new regulations that severely limit the independence of the Iranian Bar Association, giving the government control over a lawyer’s right to practice. Until then, the Bar Association, which has the exclusive power to grant or deny licenses to practice, had resisted government efforts to rein in lawyers who defend human rights.

Criminal Charges

The Iranian government has arrested scores of NGO activists and sentenced them to prison on the grounds that their work or speech allegedly “harms national security” or that they are “foreign agents.” Members of Kurdish rights organizations have faced even worse, with lengthy prison sentences, including the death penalty, for their work reporting on rights violations affecting the Kurdish community. In 2008, the government sentenced to death Farzad Kamangar, a member of the Organization for the Defense of Human Rights in Kurdistan, claiming without proof that he was a member of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). It also sentenced Sadigh Kaboudvand, who headed the group, to 11 years in prison for his NGO activities, along with prison terms for 12 of his colleagues.

Torture and Ill-Treatment of Political Prisoners

Following the disputed election, both ordinary protestors and prominent opposition figures faced detention without trial, harsh treatment including sexual violence and denial of due process including lack of access to lawyers of their choosing.

Freedom of Expression

Iranian authorities continued to imprison journalists and editors for publishing critical views, and strictly controlled publishing and academic activities.

Freedom of Association

The government increased restrictions on civil society organizations that advocate human rights and freedom of speech. Security forces on December 23, 2008 shut down the Center for Defenders of Human Rights, led by 2003 Noble Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi.

Death Penalty

Iran carries out more executions annually than any other nation except China. These executions frequently occur after unfair or political crimes with inadequate access to legal counsel.

Human Rights Defenders

The government escalated its crackdown on human rights lawyers in 2009, subjecting some to arbitrary detention, travel bans, and harassment.

Treatment of Minorities

The government continues to deny members of the Baha’i faith, Iran’s largest

non-Muslim religious minority, freedom of religion.

See complete report on Iran by clicking on the following  image:

Iran

Issues: Torture and Ill-Treatment of Political Prisoners, Freedom of Expression , Freedom of Association, Death Penalty, Human Rights Defenders, Treatment of Minorities

Since 2005 the government has prevented independent experts of the United Nations Human Rights Council from visiting to investigate alleged human rights violations.

Credits: Payvand: Human Rights World Report 2010: Iran targets Human Rights messengers

Iran steps up security before Islamic Revolution rally

Tehran sentences another activist to death and several others are arrested ahead of national day demonstrations 


Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 February 2010

Large numbers of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have been deployed across Tehran, claim opposition sources, before tomorrow's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Photograph: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images

Iranian security forces are deploying in strength in Tehran and across the country to head off what opposition supporters hope will be massive protests to mark tomorrow's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

New arrests were announced today after another death sentence was handed down for a convicted "rioter" and large numbers of Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia arrived in the capital from outlying areas, opposition sources reported.

Official preparations to deal with the latest bout of internal unrest coincide with mounting international tensions after Barack Obama accused Iran on Tuesday of trying to build a nuclear weapon and warned it would face new sanctions within weeks.

The regime has repeatedly accused opposition supporters of serving foreign interests.

Green movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims he, not incumbent hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, won last June's presidential election, has called for peaceful protests during state-sponsored events marking the 31st anniversary of the 1979 revolution – the most important date in the official calendar.

"We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people who were preparing to disrupt the 11 February rallies were arrested," the Fars news agency quoted Tehran's police chief, Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, as saying. "If anyone wants to disrupt this glorious ceremony, they will be confronted by people and we too are fully prepared."

Tomorrow's events will take place behind a media blackout, with the few foreign journalists in Tehran operating under severe restrictions. Some 60 Iranian journalist are under arrest, and internet communications have been largely shut down.

For the first time loudspeakers have been mounted along the main route of likely protests to drown out opposition slogans. The main official rally will see Ahmadinejad address tens of thousands of government supporters in the capital's Azadi (Freedom) Square. Mousavi has not announced his plans but Mehdi Karroubi, another defeated presidential candidate, said he would take part.

Obama's strong words on the nuclear issue raised the stakes in the confrontation between Tehran and the international community, though there are serious doubts about whether China, one of the five permanent members of the UN security council, will back punitive measures.

"What we are going to be working on over the next several weeks is developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them (Iran) how isolated they are from the international community as a whole," Obama told reporters in Washington. But the head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali-Akbar Salehi, insisted that an offer to enrich Iran's uranium abroad was "still on the table".

Western governments have focused on the nuclear issue but continuing domestic turmoil is attracting closer interest. Possible targets for new sanctions include the central bank, the Revolutionary guards (who control the nuclear programme), shipping firms and the energy sector.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds wounded in protests since the June election. In the most recent flare-up, eight people died in clashes between police and protesters on 27 December when opposition supporters used the annual Shia Ashura ceremonies to stage anti-government rallies. Two opposition leaders, Mohsen Aminzadeh and Behzad Nabavi, were jailed this week.

Credits: The Guardian: Iran steps up security before Islamic Revolution rally