Speaking to a UN audience in Geneva last week, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, who heads the main democratic opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran, blasted the international communitys inaction over the catastrophic condition of repression in Iran and the soaring rate of executions and medieval punishments under Rouhani. She said it was a mistake to think that keeping silent and passive on Irans human rights situation could facilitate a deal on the nuclear issue, and she appealed to the US, EU, and UN to refer Irans human rights dossier to the UN Security Council for sanctions. International media organisations reported earlier this month that Irans high court had sentenced a man to have his eyes gouged out and his right ear and nose cut off. And four UN Special Rapporteurs last week highlighted the case of Ms. Farzaneh Moradi, who was reportedly forced into marriage at the age of 15 and was hanged on 4 March in Isfahan Prison after being unfairly tried for murdering her husband, a crime she denied committing. The public hanging of a young man in the city of Karaj on 26 February has trigged widespread anger among ordinary Iranians. Public footage showed the regimes henchmen beating the handcuffed prisoner who was yelling to see his mother one last time moments before he was hanged. Officials denied him his last request. Even U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has acknowledged the falsity of reforms under Rouhani. The new administration has not made any significant improvement in the promotion and protection of freedom of expression and opinion, despite pledges made by the president during his campaign and after his swearing in, Ban said. Under these circumstances any trip to Tehran by politicians or business leaders under the pretext of the easing of UN nuclear-related sanctions will only serve the mullahs interest and give them a green light to further step up torture and executions. World leaders should call for a halt to these visits and link any deal with Iran to its human rights record.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 21:23:49 +0000
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