Ahmadinejad Has Arrived: Don’t Let Him Off Easy!
As Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes his trip to New York, Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights Iran, is reminding human rights organizations of cases of human rights violations in Iran.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to attend the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and is coming to New York, a city that fascinates him and that maintains an important role in the international scene.
The media’s excitement for Ahmadinejad’s visits began in 2005 with his first visit to New York, but often lacks meaningful scrutiny of the issues that are most important to the people of Iran. Particular issues, such as the violent suppression of people that has been ongoing since Ahmadinejad’s rigged election in June 2009, have become the greatest crisis in the human rights violations.
While the government of Iran does not tolerate any criticism or peaceful demonstrations in its territory, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged in the role of supporting the people’s movements in other nations in the Middle East, and questions governments in the region about their human rights violations. Iran’s deception in this regard should not be ignored.
Indeed, Ahmadinejad’s visit should be an opportunity to challenge Iran’s record of human rights violations and also to support the Iranian people in attaining and establishing the rule of law with democratic change and basic respect for human rights. Ahmadinejad’s presence at the U.N. General Assembly will provide an opportunity for the international community, including diplomats and journalists, to make him responsible for the egregious violations of human rights by Iran’s regime.
About 500 prisoners, including journalists, students and lawyers, are imprisoned because of their beliefs; they are tortured and denied basic rights and health care or legal advice. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two leaders of the opposition that challenged Ahmadinejad’s re-election in 2009, have spent more than 210 days under house arrest since Feb. 14, 2011, and almost all communication with the outside world has been cut off. Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York should be met with requests by all for the freedom of Mousavi, Karroubi and all prisoners of conscience.
Recent news, on the eve of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit, of the release of two American hikers who have been in an Iranian prison since August 2009, is definitely a move to silence any criticism of the Iranian regime’s human rights violations. No one should be deceived by these tactics.
The release of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal is good news, but Ahmadinejad should not get any credit for it. The Iranian president must explain why these two young men were kept in prison while fellow hiker Sarah Shourd was released on Shahrivar 1389 (September 2010). Why were these people jailed for such a long time on a baseless charge and contrary to legal procedures? Figures in the international community should ask Ahmadinejad who is responsible for the injustice that deprived these young hikers of their liberties.
Haleh Sahabi was a women’s rights activist and an opponent of the government who was also a political prisoner. On June 1, 2011, she died as the result of an assault at her father’s funeral. She had permission to leave prison to attend the ceremony. Iran’s judiciary system didn’t even bother to do basic research into the assault that caused her death. Ten days later, on June 10, another well-known political prisoner, Hoda Saber in Evin Prison, lost his life after being beaten by prison guards and going on a hunger strike. Will anyone take responsibility for his death? Unfortunately, no one will.
This culture of impunity shows that the international community should pay attention to the crisis of human rights violations in Iran. First of all, Ahmadinejad should know that the widespread violation of human rights will have no outcome other than conviction in the U.N. But regardless of this, there is no sign of any domestic solution to improve human rights in Iran. Therefore, unless the government of Iran seriously changes its behavior, it is necessary for the international community to refer Iran to the International Criminal Court to deal with its impunity.
That’s why we shouldn’t let Ahmadinejad escape that easily. He should not be allowed to come to New York without worrying about facing these challenges. From the diplomats who will meet him, to the journalists who will interview him and the university professors and individuals who will speak with him, all should emphasize the terrible repression by the Iranian government and stand by the Iranian people.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to attend the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and is coming to New York, a city that fascinates him and that maintains an important role in the international scene.
The media’s excitement for Ahmadinejad’s visits began in 2005 with his first visit to New York, but often lacks meaningful scrutiny of the issues that are most important to the people of Iran. Particular issues, such as the violent suppression of people that has been ongoing since Ahmadinejad’s rigged election in June 2009, have become the greatest crisis in the human rights violations.
While the government of Iran does not tolerate any criticism or peaceful demonstrations in its territory, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged in the role of supporting the people’s movements in other nations in the Middle East, and questions governments in the region about their human rights violations. Iran’s deception in this regard should not be ignored.
Indeed, Ahmadinejad’s visit should be an opportunity to challenge Iran’s record of human rights violations and also to support the Iranian people in attaining and establishing the rule of law with democratic change and basic respect for human rights. Ahmadinejad’s presence at the U.N. General Assembly will provide an opportunity for the international community, including diplomats and journalists, to make him responsible for the egregious violations of human rights by Iran’s regime.
About 500 prisoners, including journalists, students and lawyers, are imprisoned because of their beliefs; they are tortured and denied basic rights and health care or legal advice. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two leaders of the opposition that challenged Ahmadinejad’s re-election in 2009, have spent more than 210 days under house arrest since Feb. 14, 2011, and almost all communication with the outside world has been cut off. Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York should be met with requests by all for the freedom of Mousavi, Karroubi and all prisoners of conscience.
Recent news, on the eve of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit, of the release of two American hikers who have been in an Iranian prison since August 2009, is definitely a move to silence any criticism of the Iranian regime’s human rights violations. No one should be deceived by these tactics.
The release of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal is good news, but Ahmadinejad should not get any credit for it. The Iranian president must explain why these two young men were kept in prison while fellow hiker Sarah Shourd was released on Shahrivar 1389 (September 2010). Why were these people jailed for such a long time on a baseless charge and contrary to legal procedures? Figures in the international community should ask Ahmadinejad who is responsible for the injustice that deprived these young hikers of their liberties.
Haleh Sahabi was a women’s rights activist and an opponent of the government who was also a political prisoner. On June 1, 2011, she died as the result of an assault at her father’s funeral. She had permission to leave prison to attend the ceremony. Iran’s judiciary system didn’t even bother to do basic research into the assault that caused her death. Ten days later, on June 10, another well-known political prisoner, Hoda Saber in Evin Prison, lost his life after being beaten by prison guards and going on a hunger strike. Will anyone take responsibility for his death? Unfortunately, no one will.
This culture of impunity shows that the international community should pay attention to the crisis of human rights violations in Iran. First of all, Ahmadinejad should know that the widespread violation of human rights will have no outcome other than conviction in the U.N. But regardless of this, there is no sign of any domestic solution to improve human rights in Iran. Therefore, unless the government of Iran seriously changes its behavior, it is necessary for the international community to refer Iran to the International Criminal Court to deal with its impunity.
That’s why we shouldn’t let Ahmadinejad escape that easily. He should not be allowed to come to New York without worrying about facing these challenges. From the diplomats who will meet him, to the journalists who will interview him and the university professors and individuals who will speak with him, all should emphasize the terrible repression by the Iranian government and stand by the Iranian people.