US Envoy Raises Concerns Over Iran's Human Rights Abuses

Iran International Newsroom
Abram Paley (L) and UN Special Rapporteur for Iran Javaid Rehman. April 5, 2024
Abram Paley (L) and UN Special Rapporteur for Iran Javaid Rehman. April 5, 2024

Abram Paley, US Deputy Special Envoy for Iran held a meeting and discussions with UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Javaid Rehman regarding human rights abuses in Iran.

“Congratulated him on his mandate renewal and underscored US support for him and the Fact-Finding Mission as they continue their essential work to document the Iranian regime’s extremely concerning abuses against its own people, which they have concluded may amount to crimes against humanity,” Paley wrote on X.

Rehman assumed the role of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran in July 2018.

“As the international community has made resoundingly clear: Iran must grant them unhindered access to the country and provide all information necessary,” Paley added.

The United Nations' Human Rights Council extended his mission and mandate on Thursday.

The Council also resolved to continue a fact-finding mission to enable the completion of its work, "including by ensuring that the large amount of evidence of human rights violations" pertaining to the protests.

The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) was initiated by the United Nations Human Rights Council in November 2022 amidst the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.

After 18 months of investigations, the FFM published its inaugural report on March 8, determining that the Iranian government bears responsibility for the "physical violence" leading to the demise of 22-year-old Amini in September 2022.

Iran's human rights record has long been under scrutiny, with numerous reports shedding light on various abuses perpetrated by the regime. Media censorship, internet restrictions, and the imprisonment of journalists, bloggers, and activists who voice dissent are prevalent practices.

Political activists, opposition figures, and members of minority groups often face arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, and harsh sentences. Reports of torture and ill-treatment in prisons, coupled with one of the world's highest execution rates, further underscore the gravity of the human rights situation in the country.