08/08/2014 Press Releases (Shaheed)

UN rights experts condemn the recent wave of arrest and sentencing of civil society actors

Maina Kiai, (c) UN photo, Jean-Marc Ferré

GENEVA (8 August 2014) – United Nations human rights experts* today expressed grave concern over the recent escalating trend of arrest and sentencing of individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and opinion, peaceful assembly and association.

Since 22 May 2014, at least 36 individuals that include journalists, bloggers, filmmakers and authors, many of whom are also human rights activists, have been arrested summoned or sentenced in connection with their journalistic activities or for simply expressing their opinion on social media websites. Some of them have also been charged for ‘gathering and colluding against national security’ following their participation in peaceful assemblies.

“Convicting individuals for expressing their opinion is absolutely unacceptable,” the experts stressed. “Freedom of expression and opinion is necessary for the realization of all human rights, and it is a right reserved for all individuals, even if that individual expresses an opinion with which the Government disagrees.”

A number of these cases include situations where persons are held in solitary confinement or unknown locations and for unknown charges. Many of the trials were allegedly riddled with procedural irregularities, including deprivation of legal representation and exclusion from attending one’s own sentencing.

These individuals have been sentenced from six-month to over twenty-year prison terms. Furthermore, at least one individual who was sentenced to 50 lashings and another sentenced to death.

“The imposition of sentences in conjunction with unfair trial and lack of due process, on charges that do not warrant death or lengthy prison terms, constitutes a dismal violation of international human rights law,” the independent experts noted.

Iranian author Mr. Arzhang Davoodi was recently sentenced to death on the charge of ‘Moharebeh’ (enmity against God), in connection with his alleged membership and support to an Iranian dissident group, an allegation based on a comment he made about the group. Neither he, nor his attorney was reportedly present during the trial.

“It is completely unacceptable that an individual be sentenced to death on charge of Moharebeh for merely speaking one’s opinion,” the UN human rights experts said.

“Not only is this a blatant violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it also breaches the country’s own Islamic Penal Code, which reserves the death penalty only for those who have actively taken up arms.”

The human rights experts stressed that “such extreme convictions are simply intolerable and must be overturned.”

On 22 July 2014, Jason Rezaian, a reporter with the Washington Post, and his wife Yeganeh Salehi, a correspondent for the United Arab Emirates newspaper The National, were arrested, along with an unidentified American-Iranian photo journalist and her husband. Mr. Rezaian and Ms. Salehi are reportedly held in unknown locations.

“These cases exemplify the alarming negative trend taking place in Iran. Individuals and journalists exercising their right to freedom of expression and opinion must be protected, not arrested and prosecuted,” they noted.

“This behavior strengthens our belief that the motive behind these cases is to solely suppress the freedoms protected by national and international law,” they said, stressing that it also goes against the pledges and commitments made by senior Government officials to decrease restrictions on freedom of expression as well as increase the security of the press.

The experts reminded the authorities of their obligations under international human rights law, which guarantees the rights to hold opinions, assemble peacefully and associate freely, without interference.

“We urge the Iranian Government to “immediately and unconditionally release all individuals held in connection with their exercise of freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and those charged for carrying out their legitimate activities as journalists,” they concluded.

(*) The experts: The Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mads Andenas, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst.

UPCOMING EVENTS

(all times in EST)

21 03 23
  • International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

    21 03 23

  • International Day of Forests

    21 03 23

  • International Day of Nowruz

    21 03 23

  • World Down Syndrome Day

    21 03 23

  • World Poetry Day

    21 03 23

22 03 23
  • World Water Day

    22 03 23

23 03 23
  • World Meteorological Day

    23 03 23

24 03 23
  • International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

    24 03 23

  • World Tuberculosis Day

    24 03 23

25 03 23
  • International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

    25 03 23

  • International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

    25 03 23

02 04 23
  • World Autism Awareness Day

    02 04 23

04 04 23
  • 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council: Closing

    04 04 23
    Geneva Switzerland

  • HRC52: Iran Resolution Vote / Appt. of Mandate Holders

    04 04 23  9:00 am - 12:00 pm

06 04 23
  • International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

    06 04 23

07 04 23
  • International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda

    07 04 23

  • World Health Day

    07 04 23

12 04 23
  • International Day of Human Space Flight

    12 04 23

20 04 23
  • Chinese Language Day

    20 04 23

21 04 23
  • World Creativity and Innovation Day

    21 04 23

22 04 23
  • International Mother Earth Day

    22 04 23

23 04 23
  • English Language Day

    23 04 23

  • Spanish Language Day

    23 04 23

    http://www.un.org/es/events/spanishlanguageday/

  • World Book and Copyright Day

    23 04 23

25 04 23
  • World Malaria Day

    25 04 23

26 04 23
  • International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day

    26 04 23

  • World Intellectual Property Day

    26 04 23

28 04 23
  • World Day for Safety and Health at Work

    28 04 23

29 04 23
  • Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare

    29 04 23

30 04 23
  • International Jazz Day

    30 04 23

02 05 23
  • World Tuna Day

    02 05 23

03 05 23
  • World Press Freedom Day

    03 05 23

04 05 23
  • Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War

    04 05 23 - 05 05 23  

05 05 23
  • Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War

    04 05 23 - 05 05 23  

10 05 23
  • "Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon

    10 05 23

  • World Migratory Bird Day

    10 05 23

15 05 23
  • International Day of Families

    15 05 23

17 05 23
  • World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

    17 05 23

21 05 23
  • World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

    21 05 23

22 05 23
  • International Day for Biological Diversity

    22 05 23

23 05 23
  • International Day to End Obstetric Fistula

    23 05 23

29 05 23
  • International Day of UN Peacekeepers

    29 05 23

31 05 23
  • World No-Tobacco Day

    31 05 23

01 06 23
  • Global Day of Parents

    01 06 23

04 06 23
  • International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

    04 06 23

05 06 23
  • World Environment Day

    05 06 23

06 06 23
  • Russian Language Day

    06 06 23

08 06 23
  • World Oceans Day

    08 06 23

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

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

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