On July 1, 2024, at the Free Iran 2024 World Summit – Day 3 hosted at the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) headquarters in Paris, Ambassador Keith Harper, former US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council, delivered a poignant speech.
Ambassador Harper lauded recent successes in raising awareness about the 1988 massacre and other human rights violations, noting the importance of the Human Rights Council’s fact-finding missions and the role of the special rapporteur.
1. @AmbHarper Calls for Accountability and Justice for Iran's Human Rights Abuses #MaryamRajavi4FreeIran #FreeIran2024 https://t.co/BVGhudVo5B
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 1, 2024
The full text of Ambassador Keith Harper’s speech follows:
Madam President, Excellencies, colleagues, old friends, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Like my good friend Ambassador Ruecker, I have not been here for the conference, and so I cannot say that I agree with all the things that are said, but I can tell you one thing I agreed with. I’d like to see a free Iran as soon as possible. I’d like to see a democratic Iran as soon as possible. I’d like to see an Iran that does not discriminate against women and fully empowers them in their society as soon as possible.
My focus today is on the human rights situation in Iran and the gross and systematic violations that have occurred under this present regime since its inception. For myself, I was aware of the 1988 executions and massacre, but I did not fully understand the gravity and the sheer depravity of it. And let me be clear, once I’ve learned more about it, what became unmistakably clear is that the cruelty involved was not a byproduct. The cruelty was the point. The cruelty was the point when they, the way they treated the victims and they tortured them and they treated their families, the cruelty was the point because the cruelty was about breeding fear. Their goal was to silence. And that is the story that has to be told and is being told better each day. And so I welcome the efforts of those focused on bringing accountability, showing a spotlight on this incredible crime to so many for merely sharing their point of view.
Your work on this is righteous. You’re giving voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. The efforts of yours are important for several reasons. It sends a loud and clear message that it is not too late for justice. But more, people have to understand what happened, and here’s why. And here’s why it’s important.
And the simplest reason is that impunity breeds recurrence. Here, there is a sheer lack of accountability for those responsible for these atrocities. And what we know is that is there is a lack of adequate, where there is a lack of adequate accountability, there will be more crimes.
And so there are, as we see. The world has watched in wonder in recent years in the courageous women and men of Iran as they have protested this regime. Understanding the 1988 massacre and the other atrocities before and since speaks volumes about the sheer bravery of these protesters. They have not been cowed by the cruelty. Their protest is knowing of the consequences that they may face. That is true valor.
And indeed, some have paid the ultimate price as has been discussed earlier. A price for exercising these basic freedoms to speak their mind. The basic freedom to assemble with others for political purposes.
We must also recognize another obvious fact. And that is impunity for past misdeeds set the foundation for continuing wrongdoing today. We should recognize that the recent years there have been successes in getting this word out about the massacre and the ongoing atrocities. As well, the world is taking steps to bring accountability in the face of more recent gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran.
I was glad to see the Human Rights Council, which we served on, the body renewed the mandate for the fact-finding mission. And obviously, the special rapporteur has played in such a critical role in shining a spotlight here.
Let me close on a hopeful note. My message is this. Your efforts are worthwhile. Human rights promotion is hard work. It always takes longer than we would like. But for a myriad of examples when accountability has come, my sense is that this regime in Iran is brittle.
My hope is that a free Iran will occur sooner rather than later. But I’d like to tell you a story. When my good friend Ambassador Ruecker was President of the Human Rights Council, it was a tradition for the president to invite the members of the council to his capital. And he did so in Berlin. And we did a tour of Berlin. And we came to the wall. And Joachim was sitting nearby. And I asked him, I said, you were here a couple of years before the wall came down. When did you think the wall was coming down? And he said, not in my lifetime.
He’s one of the most astute political observers that I know. And many could not see it. And that’s a strong message. The fact that we cannot predict it today does not mean that it will not happen soon.
Thank you.
