Universal Periodic Review
Universal Periodic Review Session 48: Iran

In what should be a case study for rhetorical dilution of the pertinence of this exercise, the Iranian delegation engaged in deliberate misinformation throughout the session, alluding to progress made since the previous review. The country presentation focused on healthcare, education and procedural frameworks for socio-economic rights, engaged in “whataboutisms”, and blamed international sanctions for the rise in the numbers of death penalty in the country.
In total, 111 Member States provided comments and recommendations during this morning’s session and could be divided, by order of mentions, into three main categories: those raising concerns on the situation of human rights, those encouraging of more cooperation and development, and those critical of international mechanisms and further politicizing the exercise.
More than 71 Member States urged Iran to adhere to their international obligations through the ratification of international conventions such as: the Convention Against Torture (CAT), the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the second optional protocol of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (related to the abolition of death penalty), the ILO’s Convention 189 (on domestic workers), the Convention on Enforced Disappearance (CED), the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and the Rome Statute.
States also called for the cooperation of Iran with the special procedures, notably the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights and the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, in addition to the establishment of a National Human Right Institution according to the Paris Principles. At least 43 Member States urged Iran to initiate an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and to halt all executions of minors (which is a violation of Iran’s obligations under the Convention for the Rights of the Child). Repeating their recommendations from the third cycle, many Member States called for a raise of the minimum age of marriage to 18, in adherence with Iran’s obligations under the SDGs.
Iran’s poor record on specific freedoms was raised on multiple occasions: freedom of opinion, expression, assembly, media, right to a fair trial, girls and women’s rights, freedom of religion and belief. More than 15 Member States specifically mentioned the Baha’is, the largest unrecognized religious minority in Iran that continues to be systematically persecuted, with arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions, especially for Baha’i women.
Germany’s statement noted the small steps taken to respect the rights of minorities and the announcement to change the government’s policy towards women, however still awaited actions to be taken. Germany remained deeply concerned of the high number of executions, the omnipresent gender-based discrimination and lack of fair trials. Germany raised five recommendations to Iran:
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End the execution of death sentences and abolish the death penalty entirely especially for political and religious offences, nonviolence crimes such as drug offences and more imminently for minors.
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End gender-based discrimination and respect the rights and freedoms of women to make their own choices,
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Allow all citizens the freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and freedom of assembly,
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Comply with international standards regarding police deployment and judicial proceedings, ensure immediate and free choice of legal support in all judicial cases at any time of the proceeding,
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End discrimination of religious and ethnic minorities.
A handful of Member States, namely Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, China, Cuba, North Korea, and Malaysia defended Iran’s record and pointed to the so-called “negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on human rights”, as if the international sanctions directly led individuals and institutions to perpetrate gross human rights violations.