On the eve of the UN Human Rights Council meeting on November 24, 2022, to investigate the violation of the human rights of the protesters by the mullahs’ regime during the current nationwide protests, The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) issued a press release. BCFIF called an inquiry into the Iranian regime’s violence against protesters.
It is worth noting that The United Nations Human Rights Council is holding a special session on Thursday, November 24, to discuss the regime’s protests crackdown.
The full text of the press release of the BCFIF is as follows:
Press Release: UK must secure an international inquiry into Iranian regime’s violent repression when the UN Human Rights Council convenes 24 November
The British Committee for Iran Freedom applauds the new, coordinated human rights sanctions by the UK and her international partners on regime officials responsible for the deadly crackdown on the popular uprising in Iran.
These punitive measures by the UK target “Communications Minister Issa Zarepour and a range of local law enforcement and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials who have been involved in and ordered the crackdown on protests”, the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said in a statement on 14 November.
This second round of sanctions combine with recent summoning of Iran’s most senior diplomat to the FCDO are positive steps in support of the brave people and women of Iran, which the BCFIF have long been advocating.
The BCFIF understands that the UN Human Rights Council is to convene for a special session next week on 24 November to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.
The BCFIF commends Germany and Iceland for making the official request as well as the UK Government for supporting this historic session which provides a perfect opportunity to end impunity in Iran and stand up for international law.
The UK should firmly back the call by the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and others for justice and accountability at the special session of the UN Human Rights Council, next week.
We urge the UK Government to do that by working with our allies to ask the UN Human Rights Council to urgently launch a commission of inquiry into the violent repression on the protests and the indiscriminate killing of protesters including over 40 children with the view of prosecuting those responsible, which are now designated by the UK and international partners for serious human rights violations.
The UK must also demand the immediate expulsion of the regime in Iran from the UN’s Women Committee.
We cannot fail the Iranian people, women, and children as their legitimate demands for change, rights, and freedoms are met with a deadly crackdown and mass arrests by the regime and authorities.
A continuation of the culture of impunity in Iran today will undermine the rule-based international order, trust in international law and damage our reputation. It will also embolden the regime to use more violence against protesters and to carry out another massacre in its prisons, as tens of thousands of arrested protesters are to be charged with “waging war against God” (Moharebeh) by the Judiciary in Iran.
British Committee for Iran Freedom
21 November 2022
