Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) – The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Javaid Rehman, has presented his fourth report to the United Nations General Assembly for its seventy-sixth session.
In his report, Mr Rehman raised concerns, among other issues, about the fairness of the recent elections held in the Islamic Republic of Iran, excessive force used by security forces, arbitrary detention and arrests, freedom of speech, the situation of women and minorities, death sentences and fair trial issues, and forced confessions obtained under torture.
The report also presented several cases of human rights violations carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Kurdish region.
“Excessive force against Kurdish and Baluchi cross-border couriers continued”, it said, referring to Iranian border forces killing and injuring Kurdish kolbars and Baluchi cross-border couriers.
The Special Rapporteur also drew attention to the targeting Kurdish activists by Iranian authorities.
“In early 2021, authorities carried out a mass arrest of more than 100 Kurdish individuals, many of whom were detained in unknown locations”, he said.
He also pointed out Iranian authorities’ unfair trials and treatments of Kurdish-language teacher Zara Mohammadi and Kurdish political prisoner Zeynab Jalalian.
Moreover, Mr Rehman raised concerns about the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the “vague charges” of baghy (armed insurrection) and moharebeh (enmity against God).
In addition to other cases in the scope of these charges, he pointed out to the execution of Kurdish civilian Hedayat Abdollahpour, saying that he was “convicted of baghy, despite a lack of evidence and partially on a claim, denied by Mr Abdollahpour, that he was involved in a political party”.
He called on Iranian authorities to “remove the death penalty as punishment for vague and broad charges, and to further ensure that offences comply with international standards, especially in terms of clarity and precision”.
