29/11/2011 Press Releases (Shaheed)

UN expert starts probing rights violations in Iran through diaspora in Europe

GENEVA (29 November 2011) The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, will launch a fact-finding mission to three European countries which host Iranian diaspora. Mr. Shaheed will visit France, Germany and Belgium from 30 November – 8 December 2011 to gather information about alleged human rights violations in Iran.

Since his appointment in August 2011, the independent expert has made official requests to the Islamic Republic of Iran for a country visit, without obtaining a positive response from the authorities. He has also encouraged the Government to extend its full cooperation with his mandate as required by the UN Human Rights Council.

“I will continue to make every possible effort to get the Iranian authorities’ support,” Mr. Shaheed said. “A country visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran would have allowed me to gain better understanding of the situation in the country, explore possible areas of cooperation, offer constructive dialogue with the authorities and produce report that reflect the views of all parties concerned, not the least the views of the Government.”

“However, in my first mission as Special Rapporteur on Iran, I will now study wide range of human rights issues by meeting activists within Iranian diaspora, alleged victims of human rights violations, intergovernmental and civil society organizations,” he explained. “The information collected in France, Germany and Belgium will help shape my report to the Human Rights Council in March 2012.”

The human rights expert will hold a press conference on Thursday 8 December 2011 at 10:30 at the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) office in Brussels.

ENDS

Ahmed Shaheed is a Visiting Lecturer at the Maldives National University, a member of the presidential Commission Investigating Corruption and a former foreign policy advisor to the President of the Maldives. Mr Shaheed was Foreign Minister of the Maldives from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. He led the country’s efforts to sign and ratify all nine international human rights Conventions and to implement them in law and practice. He has worked to improve the Maldives’ compliance with the core human rights Conventions and its Treaty Body reporting obligations. Mr Shaheed opened the Permanent Mission of the Maldives in Geneva in 2006 to engage with the Human Rights Council. He also established a non-governmental organisation in the area of human rights in the Maldives. On June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council appointed Mr Shaheed as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. He started his duties officially on 1 August 2011.  As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in his individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx  

For additional information and press inquiries, please contact Naveed Ahmed (Tel. +41 22 928 9477 / email: nahmed@ohchr.org) or Rose Parris Richter (Tel. +1 917 226 4551/ email:srhumanrights@gmail.com) or Jean-Luc Onckelinx, UNRIC Brussels, (+32 2 788 84 54 / onckelinx@unric.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts: Xabier Celaya, OHCHR Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

UPCOMING EVENTS

(all times in EST)

12 06 23
  • World Day Against Child Labour

    12 06 23

13 06 23
  • International Albinism Awareness Day

    13 06 23

14 06 23
  • World Blood Donor Day

    14 06 23

15 06 23
  • World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

    15 06 23

16 06 23
  • International Day of Family Remittances

    16 06 23

17 06 23
  • World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

    17 06 23

18 06 23
  • Sustainable Gastronomy Day

    18 06 23

19 06 23
  • International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict

    19 06 23

20 06 23
  • World Refugee Day

    20 06 23

21 06 23
  • International Day of Yoga

    21 06 23

  • Presentation of HC's Report on Human Rights in Iran

    21 06 23

23 06 23
  • International Widows' Day

    23 06 23

  • United Nations Public Service Day

    23 06 23

25 06 23
  • Day of the Seafarer

    25 06 23

26 06 23
  • International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

    26 06 23

  • United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

    26 06 23

27 06 23
  • Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day

    27 06 23

29 06 23
  • International Day of the Tropics

    29 06 23

30 06 23
  • International Asteroid Day

    30 06 23

01 07 23
  • International Day of Cooperatives

    01 07 23

03 07 23
  • HRC53 Side Event on Minority Rights ft. Taimoor Aliassi / KMMK-G / ECPM / SR Iran

    03 07 23  9:00 am - 10:00 am

05 07 23
  • Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran

    05 07 23

11 07 23
  • World Population Day

    11 07 23

15 07 23
  • World Youth Skills Day

    15 07 23

18 07 23
  • Nelson Mandela International Day

    18 07 23

28 07 23
  • World Hepatitis Day

    28 07 23

30 07 23
  • International Day of Friendship

    30 07 23

  • World Day against Trafficking in Persons

    30 07 23

09 08 23
  • International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

    09 08 23

12 08 23
  • International Youth Day

    12 08 23

19 08 23
  • World Humanitarian Day

    19 08 23

23 08 23
  • International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition

    23 08 23

29 08 23
  • International Day against Nuclear Tests

    29 08 23

30 08 23
  • International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

    30 08 23

05 09 23
  • International Day of Charity

    05 09 23

  • UNGA77: Closing of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly

    05 09 23

08 09 23
  • International Literacy Day

    08 09 23

12 09 23
  • UNGA 78: Opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly

    12 09 23

  • United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation

    12 09 23

15 09 23
  • International Day of Democracy

    15 09 23

16 09 23
  • International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

    16 09 23

21 09 23
  • International Day of Peace

    21 09 23

26 09 23
  • International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

    26 09 23

27 09 23
  • World Tourism Day

    27 09 23

28 09 23
  • International Day for Universal Access to Information

    28 09 23

  • World Maritime Day

    28 09 23

  • World Rabies Day

    28 09 23

30 09 23
  • International Translation Day

    30 09 23

01 10 23
  • International Day of Older Persons

    01 10 23

02 10 23
  • International Day of Non-Violence

    02 10 23

  • World Habitat Day

    02 10 23

05 10 23
  • World Teachers’ Day

    05 10 23

09 10 23
  • World Post Day

    09 10 23