The report released by the UN’s highest body draws a daunting picture of the serious degradation of the human rights situation in Iran.
It outlines the inhuman penalties of the criminal code, in contradiction with Iran’s international obligations in the field of human rights, such as penalties for the Hudad crimes, (amputations, crucifixion, stoning), in response to crimes which should be banned from capital or other criminal punishment (adultery, drinking alcohol, apostasy, homosexuality, fornication by a non-Muslim man with a Muslim woman).
It also condemns the resurgence of juvenile executions, noting that from 1990 to 2006, Iran’s juvenile executions accounted for almost half of these executions worldwide.
The report underlines blatant discrimination against women in the legal system, with the legal value of "men’s lives (and limbs)" counting for double that of women’s, with male children being entitled to double the amount of inheritance of female children, etc. It also echoes the impossibility for local human rights organisations and women petitioners to defend and promote human rights.
The report also condemns the arbitrary arrests, and restrictions of the freedom of expression and opinion, the systematic repression of minorities, including the Baha’i community, as was echoed by UN special procedures, treaty bodies and the UN High commissioner for Human Rights.
While the Secretary General welcomes efforts made in the field of economic, social and cultural rights, it underlines the important disparities in the enjoyment of these rights between regions, due to the prevalent discrimination against women and minorities.
Finally, the report also confirms the Iranian authorities’ failure to cooperate with the UN human rights special procedures. Even though a standing invitation was issued, numerous requests for visits remained without answer, as were letters of allegations and communications sent by the UN experts. Existing recommendations and conclusions addressed by UN human rights mechanisms to the Iranian authorities remain largely ignored.
FIDH and LDDHI welcome the echo given to concerns they have been documenting for the past years by the UN’s highest authority, and urge the international community to take all necessary measures, including the adoption of a resolution by the UN General assembly condemning the grave and systematic repression, urging the authorities to implement the report’s conclusions, and calling the Secretary General to present a report in 2009 monitoring the evolution of the situation.