HRC 54 Item 4: IRAN General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

54th session of the Human Rights Council (11 September to 13 October 2023)

Item 4: General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Human rights situation in Iran

We are deeply concerned about the recent transfer of 6 billion dollars in Iranian assets from South Korea to the Swiss Central Bank.

Although Reuters has reported that Iran’s use of the funds is explicitly limited to humanitarian aid, we are concerned about their misuse and are shocked that a nation that continually violates the fundamental rights of its citizens could benefit from such a substantial economic measure.

Human rights abuses abound in Iran:

– Discrimination and persecution of ethnic, religious, and minority groups.

– No free speech without fear of reprisal.

– Women in Iran, who are half of the population, are deprived of autonomy, freedom, and dignity, subjected to archaic laws, mandatory dress codes, restricted public roles, and professional options.

– No independent judiciary, dubious trials with confessions under torture, disappearances and death sentences for dissidents, activists, journalists, and anyone else who dares to speak out.

According to the human rights report, at least five hundred twenty-two people died during the protests in Iran, including twenty-nine women and sixty-nine minors, and nearly two thousand people were arrested, one hundred and ten of them could face death sentence.

This transfer of assets reflects supporting a regime that ignores its ICCPR obligations and disregards the fundamental rights of its own citizens.

Official links :

Script Item 4: General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention 15:00

UN WEB TV CAP LC video at 2:13:30