During the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a conference titled “Human Rights Violations and the Wave of Executions in Iran” gathered legal experts and human rights defenders. Speakers, including Gianfranco Fattorini, UN Representative of the Movement for Friendship Against Racism (MRAP); Tahar Boumedra, Chair of the Justice Committee for 1988 Massacre Victims (JVMI); Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, member of the Swiss Federal Parliament; Antonio Stango, President of the Italian Federation for Human Rights; Elisabeth Rabesandratana, an ICC Lawyer); and Dr. Hanifeh Khayyeri, from the Women’s Human Rights Association, called for urgent international mechanisms to hold Iran accountable for its systemic human rights violations and executions.
Hosting the event, Gianfranco Fattorini addressed the systematic abuses that have persisted under Iran’s theocratic regime, with a particular focus on atrocities committed during the late 1980s.
“Over time, various Special Rapporteurs have informed the international community about the ongoing violations of fundamental rights and freedoms committed by theocratic authorities in Iran,” Fattorini noted. He highlighted a recent milestone in these efforts, emphasizing that “in July of this year, a significant milestone was reached with the latest report by Mr. Rehman, which highlights atrocity crimes, particularly crimes against humanity and genocide, that took place in Iran in the late 1980s.”
Fattorini went on to stress the most alarming findings from the report: “The key finding from Mr. Rehman’s report is a planned policy aimed at eliminating any form of organized opposition—a policy that does not hesitate to use criminal methods, which to this day remain completely unpunished.”
UN Experts and Nobel Laureates Condemn #Iran’s Smear Campaign Against Former Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehmanhttps://t.co/ZIvQ3U6eQr pic.twitter.com/eR7FIV3Vqy
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 14, 2024
Tahar Boumedra emphasized the significance of Professor Javaid Rehman’s recent report on Iran, which sheds light on grave human rights violations, and called for urgent protection of UN special rapporteurs who expose such abuses.
“Professor Javaid Rehman produced his report and published it as a Special Rapporteur and with the help of the Secretariat of the United Nations and with their authorization,” Boumedra said. “Professor Javaid Rehman did not produce a secret report. It was published as a document of the Human Rights Council. His, report was on the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website. And it’s a report that challenges the culture of impunity.”
Boumedra underscored that Rehman’s report is a critical piece of documentation on the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran, specifically members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). He quoted the report’s damning findings, stating that “there is considerable evidence that mass killings, torture, and other inhumane acts against members of the PMOI were conducted with genocidal intent.”
Despite the report’s importance, Boumedra explained that Prof. Rehman has faced intense pressure from the regime. “Following the publication of the report, Special Rapporteur Rehman faced all forms of personal abuse and unsubstantiated allegations against him, including bias, political corruption, receiving bribes, and illicit payments,” Boumedra stated, adding that this pressure has forced Rehman to delay professional commitments and fear for his own safety.
Boumedra concluded with a call for the United Nations to protect its special rapporteurs, stressing that Rehman’s work is essential in ensuring justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre and holding the Iranian regime accountable for its crimes against humanity.
Laurence Fehlmann Rielle highlighted recent executions and urged the international community to take decisive action. According to the Swiss MP, the regime in Iran executed at least 834 people in 2023, a staggering 43% increase compared to 2022. She pointed out that “56% were related to drug offenses, with many others for political reasons,” based on information from UN reports. Furthermore, she stressed that many death sentences were issued after unfair trials, violating Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party. This underscores the Iranian authorities’ disregard for international legal standards.
Fehlmann Rielle also highlighted the findings of the former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Professor Javaid Rehman, who denounced not only the recent surge in executions but also historical atrocities, such as the mass executions between 1981 and 1983 and the infamous 1988 massacre of political prisoners. She noted that Rehman’s report faced backlash, with the Iranian regime launching a campaign to discredit him in response to “the damning evidence presented.”
“Professor Rehman has even been threatened on social media to withdraw his call for the Iranian regime to be held accountable for decades of crimes,” Fehlmann Rielle stated. Despite the mounting pressure, she praised Rehman for his resilience, emphasizing that “he has courageously refused to retract his report, and I believe that he deserves our full solidarity.”
Fehlmann Rielle concluded by calling on the international community to intensify efforts to pressure Iran, especially regarding its use of the death penalty. She urged nations with economic ties to Iran to prioritize human rights over trade and stressed the need for continued solidarity with the Iranian people in their fight for justice.
Un mio intervento per la @FIDU_ETS al Palais des Nations di Ginevra, sede del Consiglio per i Diritti Umani dell’ONU #UNHRC sulla gravissima situazione dei diritti umani in Iran e la campagna per fermare le esecuzioni. https://t.co/cfyxhqQUmv
— Antonio Stango (@AntonioStango) October 8, 2024
Antonio Stango highlighted the Iranian regime’s role in destabilizing the Middle East and the regime’s brutal repression of dissent, particularly targeting women and minorities.
“But our understanding is that most of the worst events in the Middle East are in the hands somehow of the Iranian regime,” Stango stated, emphasizing the need for the international community to recognize Iran’s central role in regional unrest. Quoting a previous statement, he remarked, “Somebody said that the Iranian regime is the head of the snake of the evil in the region. I do share that opinion, and that is the reason why I think that all the international community has to strongly support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom.”
Stango praised the courage of the Iranian people, particularly women, who have been at the forefront of protests against the regime. “There are thousands and thousands of people, especially women, young women that dare to protest,” he said, recalling the wave of protests that erupted across Iran on September 16, 2022, following the death of Mahsa Amini. These protests marked a turning point in the ongoing resistance against the regime’s repression.
As part of the global campaign against executions and human rights violations in Iran, Stango called for continued international attention and action to stop torture, the death penalty, and the suppression of ethnic, religious, and women’s rights. He reaffirmed the Italian Federation for Human Rights’ commitment to supporting the Iranian people’s brave struggle for freedom and urged other nations to do the same.
“We will continue to be part of the international campaigns for human rights in Iran,” Stango concluded, reiterating the need for global solidarity in the face of ongoing repression.
Elisabeth Rabesandratana highlighted the crucial role of legal action and international mechanisms to address the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime.
Although Professor Javaid Rehman, then UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, was unable to visit Iran, Rabesandratana pointed out that “there has been some interaction with the Iranian state as part of this report. Iran provided written responses, especially to clarify certain interpretations of their national legislation, which, unsurprisingly, does not respect fundamental human rights.” This limited engagement, while a step toward transparency, reflects the broader challenges in holding the Iranian government accountable for widespread abuses.
“I believe Iranian victims deserve the same level of justice, and everything must be done to ensure their fundamental rights are upheld,” she stated. She called for legal representation and the preservation of evidence to support future actions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity. For victims living abroad, Rabesandratana emphasized the significance of utilizing their nationality to engage in the fight against impunity and hold the perpetrators accountable.
“Since President Pezeshkian took office, over 200 people have been executed, and many more are awaiting the same fate,” Dr. Hanifeh Khayyeri said. Among those facing execution are political prisoners, including three recently sentenced to death for their association with the PMOI. She noted that the repression extends far beyond executions. “The regime continues its relentless crackdown on public dissidents, restricting freedom of expression and assembly. Protests are met with brutal force, with protesters being arrested, tortured, and in too many cases, killed.”
So why does this repression persist?” she asked. “The Iranian regime has for over 4 decades maintained power as an authoritarian theocracy. The regime relies on domestic repression and the export of terrorism to sustain itself.” Despite international hopes for moderation, she said, “repression remains a fundamental tool,” with political executions and mass killings like the 1988 massacre used to stifle dissent and create a climate of fear.
“This use of the death penalty, not as a tool of justice, but as a method of control, is not just about punishing individuals. It’s a broader tactic aimed at instilling fear in society to make people afraid to think, to speak, and to act,” Dr. Khayyeri warned. She concluded by calling the ongoing repression a “violation of international human rights law and an affront to our common humanity,” urging global action to hold the Iranian regime accountable.