Sep 20, 2017

HRC SIDE-EVENT: ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN IRAN AND THE ASSAULT ON THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS


On the occasion of the 36th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NPRTT) in cooperation with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)  will be organizing a side-event entitled “Enforced Disappearances in Iran and the Assault on Fundamental Rights”. 

Wednesday 20 September 2017, 10:00 – 11:00

Palais des Nations, Room XV, Geneva, Switzerland
Side-event to the 36th Session of the UNHRC 

 

Despite his campaign promises, President Hassan Rohani has not fulfilled Iran´s obligations to respect human rights. On the contrary, under his government the ongoing marginalisation of ethnic minorities has been deemed paramount by the Iranian regime, neglecting ethnic minorities such as the Ahwazi Arabs, Balochis, Azerbaijani Turks and Kurds their fundamental rights to employment, adequate housing and the exercise of their cultural, civil and political rights. Central to Tehran’s strategy to erase the voices of human rights activists, over the past  years, Iran’s judicial and security bodies have waged a vicious crackdown against ethnic minorities by conducting  enforced disappearances.

As an attempt to put victims outside of the protection of the rule of law by erasing the existence of a specific human-being, enforced disappearances are among the cruellest of crimes. The case of Yousef Silavi, forcibly disappeared  since  2009, is but one of many example that demonstrates the shameful human rights violation perpetrated by the Iranian government. Additionally, Iranian authorities are attempting to destroy mass grave in Ahwaz and therefore deny the victims and their families their fundamental right to grieve with dignity and to claim justice for the missing relatives, as evidences of deaths are erased. In some cases,  Iranian authorities’ ruthless determination to dismiss victim’s existence result even in the silencing and imprisonment of family members trying to uncover the truth, like the case of Raheleh Rahemipour.

Despite numerous well document cases of missing persons in Iran and the outrage of the international community, the Iranian government has been delaying the country visit by the UN Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearance (WGEID) since 2004. Against this background,  the  side-event to the UN Human Rights Council will bring together representatives of ethnic minorities to discuss Iranian state violations of its citizens’ fundamental rights and to raise awareness of victims’ family struggle to access the truth. 

 

For further information, please contact Fernando Burges.