Human Rights Council 40: Iran
The UK raised its concerns regarding the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as the deteriorating right to freedom of expression and media freedom.
Thank you, Mr President,
The UK remains deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Iran. We noted with alarm the number of executions reported in the Secretary General’s report, in particular the six executions of juvenile offenders in 2018. We are encouraged by the amendments to drugs laws and urge Iran to go further and implement a complete moratorium on the use of the death penalty, including prohibiting the sentencing of children to death, in line with international treaty committments.
The UK remains concerned about the persecution and discrimination of religious and ethnic minorities and others in Iran, including the treatment of Baha’is and Christian converts. We also have grave concerns about the deteriorating right to freedom of expression and lack of media freedom. Academics and human rights defenders have been detained, judicial harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families continues, and legitimate organisations like the British Council face false accusations in the Iranian press. We call on Iran to drop the criminal investigations against BBC Persian staff and cease harassment of all these organisations’ employees and their families with immediate effect.
Finally, we join with the Special Rapporteur in expressing concern about the abritrary detention and treatment of those arrested during the recent protests. We urge the Iranian authorities to ensure that all detainees are afforded a transparent judicial process and the rights they are entitled to.
What practical steps could Iran take to ensure its judiciary complies with international obligations?
Thank you, Mr President.