Peace Line – The meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council was held to summarize the report of the UPR session on Iran, including the points and recommendations raised by countries in the UPR working group, with the presence of the high-ranking delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In this session, countries in harmony with the Islamic Republic, such as Syria, Sudan, and North Korea, while appreciating Iran’s active and prominent presence in the 20th Universal Periodic Review, defended the human rights record of the Islamic Republic. In contrast, Western countries strongly criticized the human rights situation in Iran. Finally, the report of the tripartite responsible for the UPR of Iran, consisting of the Philippines, Argentina, and Romania, was heard and the work report was unanimously approved.

Mohammad Javad Larijani, as the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic, had started a defensive campaign a few days before the start of the summit. Various interviews with group media and beating the drum of destroying Ahmad Shahid, a reporter who had passed through the initial filter by having three main conditions of the Islamic Republic to take on the role of a special reporter, but the authorities in Tehran never expected such behaviors from a special reporter.

The main criticism of non-aligned countries or, in other words, defiant countries towards the Islamic Republic, were issues related to religious minorities, the situation of women, censorship and widespread restrictions in the virtual space, and the increasing number of executions. Larijani and his supporters constantly emphasized their cooperation with the UNP to define and praise it. Larijani and his team, while thanking for the suggestions made, defended the human rights performance of the Islamic Republic and, while rejecting many criticisms, addressed the issue of improving human rights conditions compared to 2010. This is while the four-year human rights performance of the Islamic Republic during these four years has not only not improved, but according to the reports of the special rapporteur, it has become more serious. Many analysts expected that after Hassan Rouhani’s victory in the presidential election, the human rights situation would change and take steps towards improvement, but this did not happen. The futile expectation from Rouhani and his team, who are

Larijani has supported the situation of religious minorities in Iran in his defense series, which has also been published as a 37-page text, which is a kind of response to Ahmad Shahid’s new report. He has evaluated the conditions and laws of Iran as suitable for the growth and dynamism of women, and has considered supporting freedom of speech as the lofty goal of the government. He has also stated that the increase in the horrific rate of executions in Iran is a step towards protecting Western societies against drugs.

Larijani considers Iran a free country that has promoted the growth and development of other religions by respecting their beliefs and customs, in order to respond to any kind of oppression against religious minorities. If only this were true, the examination of the situation of only three religious groups – the Baha’is, the Nokhishan Christians, and the Gonabadi Dervishes – shows the opposite of the statements made by the head of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Islamic Republic. Regarding the Baha’is, Larijani intends to cleverly replace the accused with the victim and, by spending the honor of the Iranian people, declares that if there is any confrontation with the Baha’is, it is due to the negative perception of them in Iranian society, which is unacceptable for many Iranians. It is not acceptable for individuals to be attacked solely for their non-conformist beliefs. Is the systematic violation of the basic rights of the Baha’is in line

But the main point of this article is that the coincidence of the execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari and the acid attacks in Isfahan could not stop the words of Larijani and his team in defending the Islamic Republic’s treatment of women. Insecurity inside and outside the home has added to the previous pressures on Iranian women. Ranking 137 out of 142 countries in the World Economic Forum’s annual report on gender gap is a reflection of the dire situation of Iranian women, who have always been at the forefront of defending civil liberties. The passing of anti-women laws such as the Family Protection Law has made Iranian women more vulnerable than ever before. The presence of women representatives in parliament and government is a form of deception and manipulation, as representatives like Ms. Alia, who are staunch supporters of anti-women policies, cannot be a sign of women’s participation in political affairs.

The Islamic Republic has never hidden its view on gender from the beginning of its political life. In the eyes of Islamic rulers, women are considered as the second gender, a gender that lacks any intrinsic value and is only valued in relation to the family or husband. The restrictions on women’s presence in society stem from this perspective. From the perspective of the government, women’s financial independence and increase in education levels are not approved, so all the power of the government is directed towards combating this issue. The creation of job restrictions for women in certain professions, which is a clear violation of women’s rights, is approved by the ruling authorities, and these restrictions have reached a point where working women need permission from the police to work during certain hours of the night. This view, which considers women as criminals who must be under the control of the police, cannot be a defender of women’s rights.

The lack of access for women to certain university majors is also painful. The legislator, citing women’s supposed lack of ability, deprives them of continuing their studies in their desired field. Such arguments have no place in today’s modern world. The performance of women in other advanced countries indicates their better efficiency compared to men. It does not seem logical in a world where women are also citizens and political leaders to prevent them from participating in scientific environments for any reason.

The condemnation of women’s social activities, even in areas where they are allowed by the government, is a double oppression. The constant attacks of conservative clerics on these activities are aimed at diminishing women’s presence in these spaces. Iranian women, despite their limitations, strive to shine in some social activities solely relying on their own will. For example, after the impressive performance of Iranian female athletes in the Asian Games and their achievements, which were more than many other participating teams, they were ridiculed by the clerics. Only a few government officials thanked women for their participation and observance of mandatory hijab. It seems that the Islamic government is fundamentally opposed to women’s presence in any space other than the home, as second-class citizens.

The statements of the representatives of the Islamic Republic in this conference indicate the government’s strong determination to ignore human rights issues. The authorities of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly declared in official tribunes that they do not believe in the fundamental principles of human rights and only use the slogan of Islamic human rights as a means to escape international criticism. The Islamic Republic is struggling to portray regressive, irrelevant, or promotional changes as the implementation of its commitments and a sign of its adherence to human rights.

Samuel Bakhtiyari

Civil activist

Sources:

Iran defends its human rights policy (Le Figaro)

Following the incidents of acid attacks and executions, Iran defends its human rights record (npr.org).

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s reply to the draft report of the Special Rapporteur for submission to the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The state of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (69th session)