Human Rights Council: 58th Session

The 58th session of the Human Rights Council opened from February 24-26 with the High-Level Segment, with statements from various member states on the current human rights landscape, during which several states drew attention to the human rights situation in Iran:

The Islamic Republic of Iran also made remarks at the high-level segment, via foreign affairs minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who, in keeping with past IRI dignitaries, defended Iran’s human rights record (“Iran has always strived to promote the individual and social rights of its citizens. In this regard, we have taken extensive measures to improve the level of human rights, including the rights of women, children, and minorities in our country“), while criticizing sanctions (“Such measures have destructive ramifications on ordinary people while oppressively affecting the more vulnerable groups Iran has long fallen victim to such misguided policies.“) and denouncing what he described as a politicization of human rights (“We call upon all states to strive to support and promoting human rights based on the principles of fairness and impartiality and to avoid selective and politicized approaches to the issue”).

The Islamic Republic made a second statement in the afternoon during a panel discussion on gender equality and women’s rights, which prompted more defense of its human rights record: “Iran has reached considerable  achievements in the field of women’s rights and social justice […] Iran is committed to ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls and strived to achieve this goal by enacting supportive laws and policies, including programs to raise public awareness about women’s rights.“

The high level segment continued on February 25 with the biennial High-Level Panel on the Death Penalty, during which several interlocutors, including coalition member Ensemble contre la peine de mort and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk highlighted the high execution rate and disproportionate use of the death penalty in Iran:

On March 3, High Commissioner Volker Türk presented to the council his global update on human rights in the world, during which he addressed human rights in Iran, in particular women’s rights, human rights defenders and executions:

“In Iran, the Hijab Law has been temporarily suspended. I call again on the authorities to repeal the law fully and permanently, along with all other laws and practices that discriminate against women and girls. I also urge them to release all human rights defenders from detention and to end arbitrary arrests and imprisonment. I am deeply troubled by the marked increase in executions last year, with over 900 reported cases. I have urged the Iranian authorities to place an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty.“

On March 18, during the 58th session’s 34th meeting, the Human Rights Council hosted a joint interactive dialogue with Dr. Mai Sato, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as Sara Hossain, Shaheen Sardar Ali and Viviana Krsticevic, the three experts of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr. Sato presented her first report to the HRC (A/HRC/58/62), while the FFMI presented both their mandated report to the HRC (A/HRC/58/63) and a more detailed Conference Room Paper (A/HRC/58/CRP.1), published on the morning of the dialogue.

The same morning, a group of 40+ human rights organizations, including Impact Iran and many of its coalition members, jointly signed a statement calling for an extension of the SR’s mandate and the continuation of independent investigations into serious human rights violations in Iran, with a broader mandate.

FFMI Chair Sara Hossain said of its investigation: “Consolidated evidence strengthens our earlier findings that state authorities committed gross human rights violations, including unlawful killings, injuries, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, sexual and gender-based violence including rape, and a wide range of serious fair trial violations. Some of these violations amounted to crimes against humanity, including persecution on the grounds of gender.” The FFMI report also highlights a systemic lack of accountability regarding these abuses: “More fundamentally, the State has largely denied responsibility for gross human rights violations, some of which the Mission found to amount to crimes against humanity. Its judicial system lacks basic independence…”. To that end, FFMI Expert Viviana Krsticevic emphasized the importance of the Council’s role in ensuring accountability: “Given the gravity of the violations in the country and the serious risk of recurring violence against those who express dissent or challenge the State and its policies, it is crucial for the Human Rights Council to continue supporting the victims in their search for redress and non-repetition. This includes fostering all necessary measures, in accordance with international human rights law, to prevent further violations — reinforcing the Council’s vital role in prevention,”.

The Interactive Dialogue prompted comments from numerous member states, among them

Special Rapporteur Dr. Sato highlighted the use of the death penalty, the absence of transparency, silencing of dissent, and underlined widespread discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities: “I continue to receive reports of arbitrary detention, unfair trials, in some cases resulting in death sentences. Women from these communities face particularly acute challenges, experiencing multiple overlapping forms of discrimination.”

Special Rapporteur Dr. Sato highlighted the use of the death penalty, the absence of transparency, silencing of dissent, and underlined widespread discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities: “I continue to receive reports of arbitrary detention, unfair trials, in some cases resulting in death sentences. Women from these communities face particularly acute challenges, experiencing multiple overlapping forms of discrimination.”

The final portion of the dialogue featured remarks from several coalition members, including Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva’s Taimoor Aliassi, Balochistan Human Rights Group’s Sabah Bandoui (speaking on behalf of BHRG and Minority Rights Group), and All Human Rights for All in Iran’s Sholeh Zamini (speaking on behalf of WILPF).

Per Taimoor Aliassi: “In [..] 2024, at least 970 prisoners were executed in Iran. Over 40% of them are Kurdish and Baluch citizens, while they make up only 20% of the Iranian population.”

Sabah Bandoui: “..The persecution of ethnic and religious minorities predates and extends beyond the Woman Life Freedom movement. We are deeply concerned by the state’s persistent campaign to silence dissent and the ongoing impunity for perpetrators.”

Sholeh Zamini: “Among those at risk of execution are women’s rights activists Varisheh Moradi, Sharifeh Mohammadi and Pakhshan Azizi: we urge the overturn of their wrongful convictions and release immediately.”

Coalition member Kurdistan Human Rights Organization-Geneva (KMMK-G) held a side event in the aftermath of the joint interactive dialogue that was centered around the testimony of Saman Yasin, a Kurdish rapper/composer and former political prisoner who survived the repression during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, including being sentenced to death. The panel discussion also featured remarks from FFMI Chair Sara Hossain and Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Sato, as well as Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan, director of coalition member ECPM, and human rights activist Fariba Balouch.

Starting March 20, during the session’s 38th meeting, the Human Rights Council held a General debate under agenda item 4, i.e. “Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention”. Several member states voiced concerns on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including:

The session culminated with a landmark vote, in which the Council adopted a resolution that  not only renews the Special Rapporteur’s mandate, but also crucially expands the mandate of the FFMI beyond the 2022 protests, enabling UN investigators to examine recent, ongoing, and future human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed in the Islamic Republic of Iran, hear testimony from a broader pool of victims and witnesses, and gather crucial evidence for potential legal proceedings targeting officials and entities responsible for these violations.

The resolution (A/HRC/58/L.20/Rev.1) was adopted with an absolute majority of 24 YES votes, including a broad and robust mandate for the FFMI. It received cross-regional support, such that 50% of the 24 approving votes came from Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific regions. Read Impact Iran’s joint post-resolution statement for a more comprehensive response on the significance of the Council’s decision.