Forthcoming visit of UNSR to Iran

Written by ACI in 26 April 22

This invitation by the Islamic Republic has no intention to show true issues of everyday life and with all due respect to Professor Douhan and the integrity and independence of her office, it is political to manipulate the truth for sanction relief.

Ms Michelle Bachelet,

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The forthcoming visit of Professor Alena Douhan,

 Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures to Iran

7-18 May 2022

The Islamic Republic has faced sanctions since its inception in 1979. Sanctions throughout the last forty-three years have been used as punitive measures against the regime’s belligerent actions at home, in the region and the wider international community. These economic sanctions have been unilateral and multilateral including those imposed by the UN Security Council. As such, decisions to impose sanctions against the Islamic regime in the last forty-three years have had widespread international support.

Their effectiveness in deterring the Islamic Republic from state sponsorship of terrorism, development of nuclear weapons and the violation of the human rights of Iranian nationals at home and abroad may be questionable since they have learnt to find like-minded partners in the international community who have assisted them in overcoming sanction restrictions through illegal means. These efforts have created a very lucrative and profitable black economy for state actors and their agents whose interests in fact go hand in hand with the sanctions remaining in place.

The Islamic Republic has knowingly chosen to not join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards thus effectuating self-imposed sanctions and remains on FATF’s blacklist as of March 4, 2022.  The need to interfere, by whatever means available, in the domestic affairs of neighbouring states to widen the sphere of its political influence, together with the growth of its international money laundering activities, organised crime and financial and political corruption at home will not allow the Islamic Republic to implement the FATF standards. As such, regardless of externally imposed sanctions the Islamic Republic has willingly alienated itself from the international banking system and over two hundred countries and jurisdictions who have implemented the requirements.

Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic is experiencing a most serious economic and political crisis, but it must look no further than itself. The tragedy of everyday struggles experienced by the majority of eighty-five million Iranians is created by its own hands. If there are US economic sanctions, there are also European Union, United Nations Security Council and other states imposed economic sanctions that no doubt adversely affect the lives of ordinary Iranians. The question is why? Why is it that the people of Iran have had to live under such challenging conditions for over forty years with every single one of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights violated. The answer is simple and at home. The solution is not in the hands of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures who has been invited to visit Iran under false pretences.

Professor Alena Douhan’s mandate requires her to have freedom of movement, freedom on inquiry, confidential and unsupervised contacts with civil society, including non-governmental organizations, private institutions, media, witnesses and other private persons, assurances that no persons who have been in contact with the mandate holder will suffer threats, harassment or punishment for doing so. One look at the number of civil and equal rights activists, women’s rights activists, human rights defenders, environmental activists, members of religious groups, journalists and lawyers who are in prisons throughout Iran is enough to prove that none of the necessary and genuine contact for the fulfilment of her mandate will be realised.

The Islamic Republic plays its hand well at the Human Rights Council. On one hand it aggressively rejects any reports by other UN mandate holders and refuses them access and on the other hand through creating state sponsored pseudo-NGOs claims sanctions are violating the rights of the Iranian people and extends an invitation for the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures.

This invitation by the Islamic Republic has no intention to show true issues of everyday life and with all due respect to Professor Douhan and the integrity and independence of her office, it is political to manipulate the truth for sanction relief.

Respectfully

Hossein Ladjevardi

President – ACI

Paris – April 26, 2022