Press Releases

                      Coalition of Human Rights Advocates for Iran

July 24 Press Release:

Coalition Delegation meets with High Commissioner for Human Rights Deputy Director Craig Mokhiber

(July 24, 2009) Human rights activists Dr. Mehrangiz Kar and Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo met with Deputy Director Craig Mokhiber of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on behalf of a coalition of human rights advocates to request that the UN immediately investigate the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

The delegation expressed its concerns regarding intensified state repression and blatant acts of violence directed at persons who exercise the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, and torture of detainees.  The delegation emphasized the need for immediate investigation of all human rights violations, including the right of Iranians to freely elect their government and the conditions under which all detainees are being held.

The delegation also informed Mr. Mokhiber that the Head of the Iranian Judiciary had unlawfully implemented sweeping regulations restricting the rights of Iranian defense attorneys to defend dissidents and prohibiting human rights defenders the right to practice as lawyers. Mr. Mokhiber expressed grave concern and indicated a willingness by the UN to examine these developments.

The delegation requested that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner NavanethemPillay take the following urgent measures:

1.   Appointing a Special Envoy to deal with the ongoing human rights crisis in Iran;

2.   Calling upon the Iranian authorities to receive such special envoy to address the

      current situation in Iran;

3.   Recommending the approval of a resolution addressing the situation in Iran to the UN

      General Assembly;

4.  Recommending to the UN Human Rights Council and UN Security Council the

     appointment of a Special Rapporteur and an emergency Special Session to address the    

     situation in Iran;

5.  Transmitting urgent appeals and communications to the Islamic Republic of Iran,

     especially appeals to release all detainees immediately.



Initial coalition members are: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH); Omid Advocates for Human Rights; Dr. Mehrangiz Kar, human rights attorney; Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Iranian ex-parlimentarian.