Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
A/HRC/22/56 para 78(b)
Full recommendation:
Immediately investigate allegations of reprisals against individuals that cooperate with
international human rights instruments and organizations and to take measures to “ensure
adequate protection from intimidation or reprisals for individuals and members of groups who
seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and
mechanisms in the field of human rights.”
Assessment
The Islamic Republic of Iran actively persecutes individuals that cooperate with international
human rights mechanisms such as the office of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in Iran. The case mentioned in the Special Rapporteur’s report is that of five Kurdish
prisoners who were arrested under charges of “contacting the office of the Special
Rapporteur” “reporting prison news to human rights organisations,” and “propaganda
against the system inside prison.”1 The Secretary-General also reported on the issue of reprisals
against individuals reporting information to UN mechanisms in his 2017 report on the situation
of human rights in Iran.2 The report mentions the case of a woman who was also charged after
trying to inquire regarding her brother who had been in prison for over 30 years. The woman in
question, Raheleh Rahemipour, had been harassed by the authorities and had charges brought up
against her as an indirect result of her reporting her brother’s case to the Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention. Amnesty International has periodically reported on human rights defenders
being persecuted for cooperating with international mechanisms.3
Recommendation Status:
This Recommendation has NOT been implemented.
1
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/A-HRC-22-56_en.pdf
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G17/077/54/PDF/G1707754.pdf?OpenElement
3
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1364462017ENGLISH.PDF
2