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Iranwire – The UN human rights chief called for greater cooperation with the international human rights system as he addressed rights emergencies in Iran and dozens of other countries around the world.
In his annual review presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which opened its 53rd regular session on June 19, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk insisted that cooperation was “vital” in a world plagued by conflict, climate disasters and development setbacks.
“We would now like to scale up engagement,” Türk said, adding that the world was at a “critical juncture” 75 years after adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He said the Islamic Republic of Iran “continues to engage formally” with his office,” but he deplored that “substantive implementation of the State’s obligations under international human rights law remains very limited.”
Türk also expressed concern over “the massive recent increase in executions” of prisoners, as well as “continuing discrimination against women and girls.”
Iranian authorities have unleashed a brutal crackdown on anti-government demonstrations sparked by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police. Amini had been arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly.
Activists say more than 520 people have been killed and over 20,000 others have been detained in connection with the protests so far. Following unlawful detentions and biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
Human rights advocates have accused the Iranian authorities of escalating executions to try to instill fear in society following months of nationwide protests.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, the Islamic Republic executed at least 142 people in May, the highest monthly number since 2015.
