Iran: Allow UN Special Procedures to Visit
September 25, 2014
Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Stages Sit-In
October 21, 2014
Arseh Sevom – At the end of October, Iran will face a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its efforts to improve human rights in the country. The last review was in 2010. How much has changed? How many promises have been honored?
All UN member states undergo a universal periodic review (UPR) of their efforts to improve human rights in their countries. Iran is facing its UPR at the end of October 2014. Since their last review in 2010, a new president has taken office. Iran made over one hundred promises to improve its human rights situation. Despite this, executions have increased and rights continued to be abused. The October 2014 report of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran states that there have been at least 852 executions in Iran between June of 2013 and July of 2014. At least eight of those executed in 2014 alone were believed to be under 18 when the crimes they were accused of were committed. Some of those executed were cultural activists.
The report goes on to document psychological and physical torture, further curbing of the rights to free speech and free association, and concerns about early marriage.
Nine persecuted Iranians powerfully tell their stories of repression, harassment, detainment and torture in their own words. While these activists, bloggers, lawyers and students put a face to Iran’s human rights abuses, their stories are shared by many Iranians whose rights are violated every day.
Reports from human rights defenders and organizations:
Data visualization on Iran’s record upholding human rights and its promises to improve conditions from Impact Iran
October 2014 report from the office of Ahmad Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran
An overview of Justice for Iran’s concerns, which will be presented during the UPR. The full report can be downloaded as a pdf
Unfulfilled Promises , detailing Iran’s record since the 2010 UPR. This one is from the Baha’i International Community
The UPR report of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran looks at recommendations from Iran’s 2010 UPR and reports on how they have (not) been implemented
Featured photo by Catching.Light, some rights reserved
