The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran has called for tangible measures to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for its violations. 

Javaid Rehman made the remarks during an event held by the International Organization to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR), a London-based think tank which promotes equality, inclusivity and social development and is currently focusing on the Islamic Republic. The meeting, titled “How to stop the global threat of the Iranian regime,” was held at the UK’s House of Commons on February 8, in which participants discussed how the UK government could support anti-regime protesters. 

Rehman, who has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic over its rights violations, has intensified his rhetoric and tone about holding Tehran accountable over its violent crackdown on protests that have convulsed the country since mid-September. The clerical regime has killed over 500 people to say that it did not kill 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was fatally injured after being arrested by the notorious ‘hijab police’. 

In a strongly worded speech, Rehman called for the international community to take more action against Iranian officials through available legal means in order to bring them to account and condemned the brutality of the Iranian state, which he described as “a threat to regional and international security.” 

He said that “the manner in which the Iranian regime handled these protests is heart-wrenching and painful to elaborate,” adding “I am horrified, shocked and outraged.”

Despite all the international measures and calls for restraint, “the Iranian authorities have thus far executed at least four persons associated with the protests. They’ve been tried arbitrarily, summarily and through sham trials which violate the right to fair trials and due process,” he noted. 

Calling Iran’s level of executions and its use against minorities “deplorable,” he said, “These executions are used as a tool of repression to instill fear, and these are symbols of Iranian state brutality.” These executions are” a tool that the regime adopts in order to terrorize its own people as well as foreign and dual nationals.” 

Calling Iran’s level of executions and its use against minorities “deplorable,” he said, “These executions are used as a tool of repression to instill fear, and these are symbols of Iranian state brutality.” These executions are” a tool that the regime adopts in order to terrorize its own people as well as foreign and dual nationals.” 

Answering a question from Iran International’s Adam Baillie about measures against the IRGC, Prof. Rehman said that for him the big question was holding the IRGC accountable for crimes it may have committed, such as the shooting down of a Ukrainian airline in January 2020. 

Rehman also decried the regime’s hostage-taking policy, noting that “such instrumentalization of individuals amounts to hostage taking and must be recognized as such. And all those involved in acts of hostage taking must be held accountable.”

He argued that there are legal means to prosecute Iranian individuals incriminated in human rights abuses over and above sanctions, pointing out that many Iranian officials who are human rights violators are at liberty in London while persecuting their countrymen at home. “What we see is that there are many human rights violators roaming around London without accountability, they have assets which they use, they have families which enjoy those benefits and yet they cherish, see and enjoy targeting and victimizing people back home, which should not happen.”

He also expressed abhorrence of Tehran’s threats and harassment of journalists abroad and called for technology companies to make online communication tools available to the Iranian people. “In order to achieve its agenda of threats and generating fear, the Iranian regime actively blocks information,” he said, slamming severe internet disruption and censorship of social media platforms. 

Noting that the Iranian regime violates human dignity and respect for women with impunity, he said that “the law of enforcement of hijab and the manner of its enforcement by state authorities is emblematic of violence, brutality and violations of the fundamental human rights.”

“The international community and the United Kingdom cannot engage with a state which continues to violate the dignity and fundamental rights of its own people, in particular its children,” Rehman underlined. 

He added, “I believe there are so many avenues...it may not be obvious to us, but we have to find ways to hold individuals accountable, including people right at the top. And this must be done to ensure justice. And while I appreciate all the efforts being done, including sanctions, I think ultimately accountability would mean a lot more to the people of Iran.”