Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders A/HRC/31/55/Add.1 para
292
Full recommendation:
Due to the severity of the cases, the Special Rapporteur urges the Government to respond to the
communications sent, as grave concern is expressed about the state of health of Ms. Daemi and
Mr. Mirdamadi and their limited access to medical treatment.
Assessment
In his 2015 Annual Report, the UN Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on the situation of human rights
defenders sent 10 communications to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 1 Four of
the communications concerned “ill-treatment, including prolonged solitary confinement,
degrading conditions of detention, psychological torture and refusal of urgent medical treatment
of persons detained in Iran.”2 The UNSR raised particular concern about the severity of the
alleged cases of ill-treatment in detention, including the state of health of the human rights
defenders Ms. Daemi and Mr. Mirdamadi and their limited access to medical treatment at the
time of the report’s publication.
As of February 2021, the Government responded to three of the four aforementioned
communications, remaining silent on the alleged custodial death of the labour activist Mr.
Shakrokh Zamani. 3 In its reply to the UNSR’s communication concerning the prolonged solitary
confinement of Mr. Jason Rezaian, the Government only stated that Mr. Rezaian had been
released from detention.4 In its reply to the communication concerning the alleged deteriorating
health conditions of political prisoner Dr. Mohammed Ali Taheri, the Government only stated
that Mr. Taheri had been sentenced to a fine and imprisonment.5 Dr. Mohammed Ali Taheri has
since been released and has left Iran. The Government refuted all allegations with regards to Ms.
1
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, 2016, A/HRC/31/55/Add.1 https://documents-ddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G16/033/70/PDF/G1603370.pdf?OpenElement
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G16/033/70/PDF/G1603370.pdf?OpenElement
2
Case no: IRN 6/2015 Alleged arrest, detention, and prolonged solitary confinement, as well as unfair trial, of an artist and two
journalists. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=19950
Case no: IRN 9/2015 State reply: none to date Alleged arrest, detention, ill-treatment and sentencing of a civil rights activist and
a journalist, Ms. Atena Daemi and Mr. Seral Mirdamadi, after unfair trials.
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=20209
Case no: IRN 17/2015 State reply: none to date Alleged custodial death of a political prisoner in Iran, Mr. Shahrokh Zamani
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=19158
Case no: IRN 18/2015 State reply: 24/11/2015 Alleged deteriorating health conditions of political prisoner, Dr. Mohammed Ali
Taheri. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=16203
3
Case no: IRN 17/2015 State reply: none to date Alleged custodial death of a political prisoner in Iran, Mr. Shahrokh Zamani
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=19158
4
Reply of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the communication IRN/6/2015
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=32076
5
Reply of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the communication IRN 18/2015
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=32751
1