Iran: the leading per capita executioner of its own citizens in the world
The Iranian regime has emerged as the leading per capita execution of its own citizens in the world today, surpassing China. One person is hanged every seven hours. During Hassan Rouhani’s tenure as President, at least 2,700 have been executed, including dozens of women, minors, dissidents, and ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Baluchis and Arabs.
United Nations Censures Rights Abuses in Iran
The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the flagrant violations of human rights in Iran. On December 19, 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted its 63rd resolution, condemning human rights violations in Iran.
The resolution, adopted with 85 votes in favor, expressed “serious concern at the alarmingly high frequency of the imposition and carrying-out of the death penalty by the (Iranian regime)… including executions undertaken for crimes that do not qualify as the most serious crimes, on the basis of forced confessions or against minors and persons who at the time of their offence were under the age of 18…” It also called on the Iranian regime “to abolish, in law and in practice, public executions,” and demanded the regime “to ensure, in law and in practice, that no one is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
It also urged the Iranian government “to cease enforced disappearances” and “address the poor conditions of prisons, to eliminate the denial of access to adequate medical treatment and the consequent risk of death faced by prisoners.” It further urged the regime “to end widespread and serious restrictions, in law and in practice, on the right to freedom of expression, opinion, association and peaceful assembly, both online and offline, including by ending the harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents, human rights defenders, women’s and minority rights activists…” and “to release persons arbitrarily detained for the legitimate exercise of these rights, to consider rescinding unduly harsh sentences, including the death penalty and long-term internal exile, for exercising such fundamental freedoms” and “to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination and other human rights violations against women and girls,” as well as against “persons belonging to ethnic, linguistic or other minorities.”
UN Secretary General, Human Rights Special Rapporteur alarmed at high rate of executions in Iran
According to the October 2016 report by the United Nations Secretary General on human rights in Iran, “At least 966 people were reportedly executed in 2015, the highest such number in over two decades, in continuation of an upward trend that began in 2008.” The report expressed alarm that “reports of execution by hanging of women and foreign nationals continued to be received. Between January 2015 and June 2016, at least 15 women were reportedly executed.” It added, “The state of prisons in the Islamic Republic of Iran remains a major concern, owing to extensive overcrowding and high incarceration rates. Over the past two decades, an average of 300,000 people have been incarcerated annually.” The same report expressed particular concern about “the persistent pattern of arbitrary arrests and convictions of journalists and online activists. As of March 2016, at least 47 journalists and Internet users were reportedly imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
In his report to the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran referred to “the execution of at least 73 juvenile offenders between 2005 and 2015,” and that “as of March 2016, at least 160 juvenile offenders were reportedly on death row.”
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the August 2016 execution of 20 Kurdish dissidents in Iran and noted, “the application of overly broad and vague criminal charges, coupled with a disdain for the rights of the accused to due process and a fair trial have in these cases led to a grave injustice.”
State Department’s Annual Human Rights Reports expresses alarm over rights violations in Iran
The 2015 State Department report on the state of human rights in Iran noted, “The government and its agents reportedly committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including, most commonly, by execution after arrest and trial without due process, or for crimes that do not meet the threshold of most serious crimes,” adding, “Commonly reported methods of torture and abuse in prisons included prolonged solitary confinement, threats of rape, forced virginity tests, sexual humiliation, threats of execution, sleep deprivation, electroshock, burnings, the use of pressure positions, and severe and repeated beatings.”
Human Rights Watch 2016 report voicing concern over treatment of ethnic and religious minorities
According to the 2016 annual report issued by Human Rights Watch, “at least 74 Baha’is were held in Iran’s prisons as of November 20, 2015. Security and intelligence forces also continued to target Christian converts from Islam, Persian-speaking Protestant and evangelical congregations, and members of the home church movement. Some faced charges such as ‘acting against the national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state.’” The same report noted that Iranian authorities prevent Sunnis, who account for approximately 10 percent of the Iranian population, “from constructing their own mosques in Tehran and conducting separate Eid prayers. The government continued to target members of Sufi mystical orders, particularly members of the Nematollahi Gonabadi order.”
USFL promoting human rights
As a not-for-profit non-governmental organization, the U.S. Foundation for Liberty has set out to support groups, individuals, and programs that both in their platform and through their actions credibly demonstrate the intention to attain human rights in Iran. A democratic, non-nuclear Iran is not only good for the Iranian people, but it is good for the region and the entire world. Think about it: Iran is closer to many of our regional allies than Boston is to Washington, DC. The Iranian regime violates the human rights of people in neighboring Iraq and other countries of the region as well.
It is estimated that in Iraq alone, some 70 percent of the American soldiers who were lost, were killed by those funded or armed by the Iranian regime. But the solution to the Iranian regime’s menace is not military intervention and more bloodshed. There is an alternative approach. We believe that the people of Iran, with their inherent strengths and democratic aspirations can bring about change with the right amount of moral support. Therefore, the Foundation seeks engagement and assistance from concerned citizens, civil leaders, and entrepreneurs to assist the Iranian people in realizing their inherent human rights. This goal is complimentary of the national interest of the United States and to the greater extent it is achieved will contribute an equal measure to the national security of the United States. The idea of a democratic non-nuclear Iran, and thus, a safer and more secure America is not just a dream. Together we can reach this goal, but we need your help today. We cannot do it without YOU.
Our Urgent Mission
Having successfully worked to ensure the safe transfer of thousands of Iranian refugees in Iraq to Europe, one of USFL major projects now is to ensure that these refugees, who suffer from an assortment of acute psychological and physical ailments to recover as quickly as possible and contribute constructively to the environments around them. Some of them suffer from serious illnesses, others with major disabilities. A number of them have unfortunately passed away since arriving in Europe and Albania So, providing them with medical assistance and treatment is critical.
Please join us and make your contributions to fund or conduct following activities:
- Help with the resettlement of Iranian political refugees in Albania
- Help fund urgently needed medical assistance to thousands of refugees already resettled
- Help those Iranians who are striving to achieve a democratic, secular, non-nuclear republic in Iran;
- Fund educational events, i.e., symposiums, conferences, and briefings;
- Fund educational broadcasts internationally to impact Iranian public opinion;
- Fund broadcasts to educate the public in the United States;
- Fund research studies and the publication of reports highlighting the dangers posed by the Iranian regime, and the opportunities existing within the Iranian society.
How you can contribute:
- Make online donation to the USFL account by visiting our website usfliberty.org;
- Become a sponsor of the USFL, by making a monthly contribution through your credit card or your bank account;
- Help organize fund-raising events, or simply ask someone you know to fund various programs of USFL;
- Donate your stocks, and/or other investments to USFL.