19 September 2024 :
September 5, 2024 - IRAN. UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman Targeted by Iranian Regime After Human Rights Report----UN Special Rapporteur Produces Damning Report on Human Rights in Iran
In July 2024, Javaid Rehman, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, released his final report under the title Atrocity Crimes, detailing executions that took place in Iran in 1981 and 1982, as well as the mass killing of political prisoners in 1988. Rehman categorized these acts as crimes against humanity and genocide.
The 1988 massacre, carried out following a fatwa issued by then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, resulted in the execution of over 30,000 political prisoners within just a few months. Most of the victims were members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI).
Following the report’s release, the Iranian regime and its allies launched a coordinated campaign against Professor Rehman. These attacks came through official channels and media, with Iranian officials and their international supporters leading the charge.
On August 24, 2024, Rehman participated in a conference titled Crimes Against Humanity: Time for Accountability and an End to Impunity. The event brought together former UN officials, legal experts, and human rights advocates who called for justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre. During the conference, Rehman presented his findings and explained his report.
In response to this, the Iranian regime and its supporters intensified their attacks on Rehman. In a statement released today, Rehman firmly rejected the accusations made against him by the regime.
In his statement, Rehman wrote:
“Throughout my time as the Special Rapporteur, I served the people of Iran with great integrity and absolute commitment, and played an important role in highlighting and reporting human rights violations in the country. On their part, the Iranian authorities not only refused me entry into the country (breaching the terms of the UN Human Rights Council Resolutions establishing my mandate), they hurled all forms of personal abuse and unsubstantiated allegations including bias, political corruption, receiving bribes and illicit payment to discredit me and undermine the independence of my work.”
Rehman also dismissed claims that he received any payment for attending the August 24 conference, stating:
“I completely reject the false and fabricated accusations that I received any form of honorarium, conference fee, or speaker fee for participation in the conference on August 24, 2024, in Paris. There have been false allegations against me that I received funding to attend this meeting based on various allegations that high-profile persons have been paid to attend such events. It is shocking that those making such allegations have so little regard for my integrity and reputation, merely for participating in a conference that was directly relevant to my report on ‘atrocity crimes’.”
Rehman further warned the international community, asserting that the smear campaign against him is an attempt by the Iranian authorities and their sympathizers to evade accountability:
“I must alert the international community that through this smear campaign against me, the Iranian authorities (and their sympathizers) are attempting to escape and avoid accountability for their crimes.”
He concluded his statement by urging global attention to the findings of his report:
“I urge the international community to focus on the findings and recommendations of this report, to ensure justice and accountability for the victims of ‘atrocity crimes’, and to bring an end to the continuing impunity in Iran.”
