Initial talks between the USA and Iran concerning the latter’s nuclear programme have been criticised for failing to boost the problem of human rights, particularly religious freedom.
Iran has signed as much as international treaties that require it to respect religious freedom, and its own structure also makes provision for religious minorities.
In practice nevertheless, Christians, Sunni Muslims and other religious minorities live under the constant threat of violations starting from harassment and property seizure all the best way as much as imprisonment, torture and extra-judicial execution.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) noted the recent case of Pastor Joseph Shahbazian, who was denied permission to attend his mother’s funeral, despite the official investigation into him being concluded. There are unconfirmed reports that Pastor Shahbazian’s wife has also being arrested, as she was also absent from the funeral.
Representatives of Iran are meeting with US diplomats in Oman to debate Iran’s nuclear programme.
Khataza Gondwe, CSW’s director of advocacy said, “The seeming omission of urgent human rights concerns in these initial discussions with the Iranian government follows a concerning pattern of the international community neglecting to utilise suitable opportunities to press the regime to uphold international human rights obligations which it agreed to uphold voluntarily.
“We urge the US government to make sure that pressing human rights issues aren’t any longer missed in subsequent dialogues, and to call on the federal government of Iran to respect, protect and fulfil the rights and freedoms articulated throughout the ICCPR for all residents, including the best to freedom of faith or belief.”
Aside from failing to respect freedom of faith, Iran has also been criticised for a spread of other human rights violations. The UN has prolonged the mandate of its Special Rapporteur for human rights in Iran, as a consequence of the country’s continued human rights violations.
Last 12 months one political dissident was executed after being abducted from a neighbouring country and, based on CSW, nine Kurdish political prisoners were also executed.
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