Latest news with #Al-Nashif
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Iran-Israel Crisis: UN Rights Office Appeals For Urgent De-Escalation
18 June 2025 Israel began targeting nuclear and military sites across Iran last Friday, prompting a barrage of retaliatory strikes on Israeli cities. 'The UN human rights office urges de-escalation and urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward,' said Ms. Al-Nashif. 'We are following closely and are aware of reports that many thousands of residents are fleeing parts of the capital, Tehran, as a result of warnings covering broad areas.' Latest reports from the region indicate that more than 200 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel to date. The violence continued unabated overnight in both countries. Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva at a scheduled meeting to discuss Iran's rights record, the Deputy High Commissioner highlighted serious concerns that populated areas have been hit in the escalation. 'It is imperative that both sides fully respect international law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians in densely populated areas and of civilian objects,' she said. 'We urge all those with influence to engage in negotiation as a matter of priority.' Nuclear watchdog update In a related development, the UN-backed nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that two Iranian centrifuge production facilities had suffered major damage after being targeted. 'The TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Centre, were hit,' it said in an update. 'At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured,' said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Speaking at the Council after the Deputy High Commissioner, Iran's Permanent Representative of Iran, Ambassador Ali Bahreini, condemned the Israeli strikes: 'There has been no violation worse than [the] 13 June act of aggression against Iran,' he said, pointing to 'continuous blind attacks on residential areas, bombardment of vital supplies, explosion of drinking water resources and reckless strikes on nuclear facilities are immediately impacting the civilians and people of Iran.' Such 'deliberate targeting' of his country's nuclear facilities risked exposing local communities to a 'possible hazardous leak', the Iranian ambassador continued. 'This is not an act of war against our country, it is war against humanity.' In a short statement to the Council from which Israel announced its withdrawal earlier this year, Mr. Bahreini called for accountability and international condemnation of the Israeli attacks. 'This impunity must come to [an] end,' he said. 'Israel activities are not just against one or two countries. It is acting against all humanity and their actions target all human rights.'
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Human Rights Council Hears Alarming Updates On Executions In Iran And Global Civic Space Crackdown
June 2025 At least 975 people were executed in Iran in 2024, the highest number reported since 2015, according to a report Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, presented to the Geneva-based Council on Wednesday. Of the total executions, just over half were for drug-related offenses, 43 per cent for murder, two per cent for sexual offenses, and three per cent for security-related charges. At least four executions were carried out publicly. 'These cases are marked by serious allegations of torture and due process violations, including lack of access to a lawyer,' said Ms. Al-Nashif. Violence and discrimination against women At least 31 women were reportedly executed in Iran last year, up from 22 in 2023. Of the 19 women executed for murder, nine had been convicted of killing their husbands in cases involving domestic violence or forced or child marriage, areas in which Iranian women have no legal protections. Some executions were reportedly linked to protests that began in September 2022 under the banner 'Women, Life, and Freedom.' Beyond executions, femicide cases surged, with 179 reported in 2024 compared to 55 the year before. Many stemmed from so-called 'honour' crimes or family disputes, often involving women and girls seeking divorce or rejecting marriage proposals. Ms. Al-Nashif also warned that the suspended Chastity and Hijab Law, if enacted, would pose a serious threat to women's rights. Penalties for violations such as improper dress could include heavy fines, travel bans, long-term imprisonment, or even the death penalty. In addition, of the 125 journalists prosecuted in 2024, 40 were women, many reporting on human rights and women's rights issues. Religious and ethnic minorities 'In 2024, the death penalty continued to have a disproportionate impact on minority groups,' Ms. Al-Nashif told the Council. At least 108 Baluchi and 84 Kurdish prisoners were executed in 2024, representing 11 and 9 per cent of the total, respectively. The report also raised concerns over the lack of official data on the socioeconomic conditions of ethnic and ethno-religious minorities and non-citizens, which hampers efforts to assess their situation and measure the impact of targeted policies and programmes. Looking ahead While Iran continued engagement with the Office of the UN High Commissioner and other human rights mechanisms, it denied access to the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. 'Our Office remains ready to continue and build on its engagement with the Iranian authorities on the range of issues highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General for the promotion and protection of all human rights,' Ms. Al-Nashif concluded. Global 'Super Election' cycle undermined democratic participation In the Council's afternoon session, Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, presented her report on how the 2023–2025 'super election' cycle has affected civic space around the world. In 2024, half of the world's population elected their local, national and international representatives. While Ms. Romero's report on this cycle does not assess the integrity of the elections, it identifies troubling global patterns of systematic repression of the exercise of peaceful assembly and association. 'The misuse of restrictive laws, smear campaigns, disinformation targeting civil society intensified globally in the super electoral cycle, undermining electoral participation and freedom of association,' she said. Political repression and violence As criminal justice systems are used to repress the opposition, leaders and members of political parties faced undue restrictions and political persecution. Civil society activists and election observers have also faced harassment, arbitrary detention, torture and murder. 'When political parties, civil society, and peaceful assemblies are suppressed, genuine political pluralism and competition cannot exist,' argued Ms. Romero. 'I stress that these conditions are incompatible with free and genuine elections and risk legitimising undemocratic rule.' Minority representation Ms. Romero also underscored that women's political leadership remains severely underrepresented, while LGBTIQ individuals and their organizations faced attacks during the super electoral cycle. Both groups experienced physical and online political violence, restricting their electoral participation and accelerating the decline of their rights after the elections. Calls to protect freedoms Amid global crises and a rapid democratic decline, Ms. Romero emphasized the urgent need to protect the rights to peaceful assembly and association throughout the entire electoral cycle. She outlined key recommendations, including strengthening legal protections before elections, ensuring accountability afterward, regulating digital technologies and promoting non-discriminatory participation throughout. 'Dissent is a fundamental element of democratic societies,' she concluded in Spanish. 'Rather than being suppressed, it should be welcomed and permanently protected.'
Mint
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Israel-Iran war updates: UN Security Council to meet Friday after Iran's request, with support from Russia, China
After an urgent meeting last Friday convened by the United Nations Security Council after Israel attacked Iran last Friday, another meeting has now been requested from Iran's end, with support from Russia, China, and Pakistan. This UNSC meeting will be held on Friday, and the Israel-Iran agenda will be the primary one on the table, according to the UN Security Council President Guyana, says an AFP report. The call for this meeting has been issued by Iran after a fresh scale of attacks launched by Israel amid the conflict. Russia has supported this stance for a meeting at the UNSC, with China and Pakistan supporting the concept of round-table talks as a means to understanding the extent of the conflict. 'The UN human rights office urges de-escalation and urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward,' said UN deputy human rights chief Nada Al-Nashif, according to UN News. 'We are following closely and are aware of reports that many thousands of residents are fleeing parts of the capital, Tehran, as a result of warnings covering broad areas,' Al-Nashif had also said. Meanwhile, speaking at the Council after the Deputy High Commissioner, Iran's Permanent Representative of Iran, Ambassador Ali Bahreini, took to condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran, saying, 'There has been no violation worse than the 13 June act of aggression against Iran. Continuous blind attacks on residential areas, bombardment of vital supplies, explosion of drinking water resources, and reckless strikes on nuclear facilities are immediately impacting the civilians and people of Iran.' Israel has also admitted to the loss of Israeli properties and symbols, with their PM Benjamin Netanyahu thanking US President Donald Trump for his timely contribution in 'protecting Israeli skies', while missiles from Iran rained down upon Tel Aviv.
