Draft U.N. Resolution on Iran Protests

 GENEVA, January 11, 2018 — The non-governmental human rights group United Nations Watch today urged the 47-nation Human Rights Council to hold an urgent session on Iran and establish a Commission of Inquiry into reported gross abuses of human rights, and circulated the following proposed outcome text: Draft Iran Resolution – 11 January 2018

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United Nations Human Rights Council

Draft Resolution proposed by United Nations Watch, NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC 

The current human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran
in the context of recent events

The Human Rights Council, 
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that all States are bound to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly,
Reaffirming that all States have an obligation to protect the rights to life, liberty and security of the person,
Recalling all prior resolutions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council concerning the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Condemning the deaths of at least 21 people, including an 11-year-old boy, and the arrest of at least 1,000 protesters, and possibly as many as 3,700 protesters, in connection with the recent political protests in 79 locations across the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Alarmed by allegations of excessive use of force, deliberate killings, tear-gassing, and threats of the use of the death penalty against peaceful protesters by the Iranian authorities,
Deploring the death in custody of 22-year-old Sina Ghanbari, and that four other protesters have reportedly died in police custody at Tehran’s Evin Prison, known for human rights abuses,
Expressing grave concern over the Iranian authorities’ suppression of freedom of expression during the protests, particularly by blocking mobile internet access and social media platforms such as Telegram and Instagram.
Urging the Islamic Republic of Iran to take urgent and concrete measures to meet the legitimate demands of its people, as expressed by the tens of thousands of protesters in 79 locations across the country, including by holding free and fair elections, ending corruption, initiating economic reforms aimed at ending unemployment, ending discrimination against women, ensuring an independent and impartial judiciary, ceasing to fund conflicts, terrorism, and genocide, and lifting measures restricting the exercise of fundamental freedoms,
Recalling the statement of the Secretary-General of 3 January 2018 deploring the loss of life in the protests, and urging respect for the rights of Iranian citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,
Recalling the statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of 3 January 2018 expressing deep concern about the deaths and arrests of protesters and calling on the Iranian authorities to respect the rights of demonstrators and detainees; guarantee their safety and security; conduct thorough, independent and impartial investigations of all acts of violence; and ensure the Iranian security forces comply with international law in responding to protesters,
Recalling the joint statement of 5 January 2018 of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, expressing extreme concern over the deaths and arrests of protesters; calling on the Iranian authorities to make public the names and whereabouts of all persons detained in connection with the protests and to allow those arrested immediate access to their families and legal counsel; condemning the government’s harsh response to the protesters, including the judiciary’s threats of harsh punishment; urging the authorities to exercise restraint, respond proportionately, and respect the protesters’ rights to life, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; expressing concern over the government’s blocking of internet and social media platforms, which constitutes a serious violation of fundamental rights; and calling on the Iranian authorities to take immediate action to ensure the peaceful exercise of the rights of freedom of expression and assembly by Iranian citizens,

1. Condemns the use of lethal violence against peaceful protesters by the Iranian authorities;

2. Expresses deep concern at the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and strongly condemns the recent gross and systematic human rights violations committed in that country, including the indiscriminate armed attacks against civilians, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention of peaceful demonstrators;

3. Deplores the death in police custody of 22-year-old Sina Ghanbari and four other protesters, as reported by the international media;

4. Calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to meet its responsibility to protect its population, to immediately put an end to all human rights violations, to stop any attacks against civilians and to respect fully all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly;

5. Also calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately release all arbitrarily detained persons, including those who were detained before the recent events;

6. Calls on the Iranian authorities to make public the names and whereabouts of all persons detained in connection with the protests, and to allow those arrested immediate access to their families and to legal counsel;

7. Urges the Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of all civilians and to refrain from any reprisals against people who have taken part in the demonstrations;

8. Also urges the Iranian authorities to immediately cease the blocking of public access to the Internet and telecommunications networks;

9. Further urges the Iranian authorities to respect the popular will, aspirations and demands of its people and to make their utmost efforts to prevent further deterioration of the crisis and to promote a peaceful solution ensuring safety for all civilians and stability for the country;

10. Recalls the importance of accountability and the need to fight against impunity and, in this regard, stresses the need to hold to account those responsible for attacks on civilians in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including by forces under Government control;

11. Demands that the Government of Iran end its policy of denying access for country visits and investigations by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and by all relevant thematic special procedures mandate holders, who are encouraged, within their respective mandates, to pay particular attention to the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and urges the Iranian authorities to cooperate with these United Nations monitors;

12. Calls on the Iranian authorities to guarantee access for human rights and humanitarian organizations, including human rights monitors, to visit and investigate;

13. Decides to urgently dispatch an independent, international Commission of Inquiry, to be appointed by the President of the Council, to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the context of the recent and ongoing protests that began on 28 December 2017, and to establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and of the crimes perpetrated and, where possible, to identify those responsible, to make recommendations, in particular, on accountability measures, all with a view to ensuring that those individuals responsible are held accountable, and to report to the Council at its thirty-eighth session, and calls upon the Iranian authorities to fully cooperate with the Commission;

14. Requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide all the administrative, technical and logistical assistance required to enable the above-mentioned commission of inquiry to fulfil its mandate;

15. Requests the High Commissioner to provide an oral update on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Council at its thirty-seventh session, to submit a follow-up report to the Council at its thirty-eighth session, as well as to organize an interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran during the thirty-eighth session of the Council;

16. Decides to remain seized of the matter.