Exclusive: New Human Rights Report Released on Iran
As the nuclear crisis with Iran deepens, the United Nations Wednesday issued a detailed new report that accuses Iran of responsibility for grave human rights abuses including the highest per capita rate of executions in the world.
As the nuclear crisis with Iran deepens, the United Nations Wednesday issued a detailed new report that accuses Iran of responsibility for grave human rights abuses including the highest per capita rate of executions in the world.
The report[1], compiled by Ahmed Shaheed, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, found “a striking pattern of violations of fundamental human rights guaranteed under international law.”
The report chides Iran for its treatment of women, gays, labor activists, journalists, ethnic minorities and protestors who demonstrated peacefully in the aftermath of disputed 2009 presidential elections.
It said that Iran executed 421 people by official count and 249 others in secret in 2011 – the highest absolute number in the world next to China and the biggest in terms of population. Many were killed because of alleged drug crimes that would not merit capital punishment elsewhere, the report said.
