Six U.N. human rights experts condemn Iran for mass arrests
Vancouverite
08-Jul-2009

Six United Nations human rights experts today voiced grave concerns about the mass arrests and ill-treatment of opposition supporters, clerics, journalists, students and others in the weeks following last month’s contested presidential elections in Iran.The experts issued a joint statement calling on the Iranian Government to uphold its international obligations to ensure that all citizens’ human rights are protected and to allow independent scrutiny of the current situation.“The six experts reiterate their grave concern about reports of killings, ongoing arrests, use of excessive police force and the ill-treatment of detainees,” according to the statement, which was issued in Geneva.Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly continue to be undermined and human rights defenders face an increasingly precarious situation, the experts said, despite previous warnings from senior UN rights officials about the possible use of excessive police force and violence used by some militia members during opposition protests in the wake of the election results.At least 20 people have been killed and hundreds of others seriously injured in clashes with security forces since 12 June, the experts reported, and hundreds more people have been arrested  after clashing with the police or the Basij militia. “The experts recall that the use of force must be exercised with restraint and only once non-violent means have been exhausted,” the joint statement said. “In addition, the... >>>

recommended by Paymaneh Amiri

Share/Save/Bookmark