NCRI Iran News
Geneva – UN European HQ: Condemning Executions in Iran
- Thursday, 06 April 2017 07:40
call to hold perpetrators of 1988 massacre accountable
Speakers at a conference held in the United Nations European Headquarters in Geneva by the international Radical Party condemned widespread human rights violations and increasing executions in Iran, and discussed the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran.
As the conference coincided with the 34th UN Human Rights Council session, the speakers called for a UN probe into these crimes and holding the perpetrators accountable.
Former Italian MP Elizabetta Zamparotti, joint chair of the Italian Committee of Citizens and Parliamentarians for a Free Iran underscored the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.
“As members of the international Radical Party we support an international campaign for the rule of law in various countries. Iran must be the center of this campaign’s focus,” she said.
“Despite an international trend seeking the complete revoking or suspension of the death penalty, Iran continues to horrendously use the death penalty even against juveniles, and this is a violation of the most fundamental international conventions, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” she added.
“Rouhani is no different in comparison to other figures involved in this regime’s massacre of 30,000 political prisoners back in 1988,” Zamparotti highlighted.
Expecting moderation from this regime is nothing but an illusion. Iran’s crimes, and especially the 1988 massacre, must be challenged through international means.
“Change will only take place through brave activists in Iran, and the international community, and the West must support this effort by conditioning any economic relations with this regime to Tehran respecting human rights standards,” the former Italian MP added.
Dr. Henirk Mansson, professor of Copenhagen University said human rights violations are not forgotten through the passage of time and evaluated various international methods to evaluate the 1988 massacre in Iran.
“There are three methods to pursue this dossier. First, referring the case to the International Criminal Court and demanding strong accountability. Second is to include the 1988 massacre into the mission of Iran’s Special Rapporteur. This can be a decent basis for holding the perpetrators accountable. And there is an imminent solution through the UN Investigative Commission. This can be tracked through the UN Human Rights Council and especially the High Commissioner in regards to gross and systematic human rights violations. To this day 18 investigative commissions have been launched and eight cases have involved human rights violations,” he said.
A number of eyewitnesses also delivered their remarks at the conference.
Farzad Madadzadeh, a former political prisoner in Iran, explained what he witnessed in Iran’s prisons, the crimes and tortures used against political prisoners in various jails across the country. He also spoke of various pressures and inhumane measures imposed on himself and other cellmates.
Ms. Iran Mansouri, a family member of political prisoners in Iran, spoke of arrests, tortures and inhumane pressures against political prisoners in Iran’s prisons.
Ms. Simin Nouri spoke of the women’s role in the Iranian opposition and provided explanations regarding the women’s movement activities and international support for these measures.
Ms. Masoumeh Joshaghani, another former political prisoner, provided further details about what she witnessed in the regime’s prisons and how political prisoners, especially the women, stood firm against such atrocities.
Ms. Azade Alamian referred to a scope of women’s activities against the regime aiming to establish freedom and equality.
