Iran’s Government Tries To 'Stop Floods With Gunfire’
While ruling hardliners in Iran seek help from reformists to find a way out of their predicament, opposition is emerging to the idea both in the country and in diaspora.
While ruling hardliners in Iran seek help from reformists to find a way out of their predicament, opposition is emerging to the idea both in the country and in diaspora.
Signs of the apparently incurable impasse have appeared in bitter comments by Iranian academics and political activists such as Mohsen Renani who has said in a note published on social media that "the government is trying to stop a flood by shooting at it, thinking that bullets can stop the deadly torrent. At the same time, intellectuals are standing behind the flood and trying to direct it."
Renani said that in the current revolt "the younger generation of Iranians is throwing up the remnants of an old and outdated government. They also do not want us intellectuals who kept silent for a long time in the face of discrimination, narrowmindedness and foolishness."He added that both the government and the intellectuals lag behind the new generation. The flood is raging on and what the government can do to stop it?"
As reports indicate in recent days, the government's last resort has been seeking help from reformists it neglected, suppressed and humiliated at least since 2020 if not long before that.
Referring to her meetings with Judiciary Chief Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejei and Security Chief Ali Shamkhani, Fatemeh Rakei, the deputy chairperson of the Reform Front has said: "It may be too late for reconciliation, but we still have time to stop bloodshed and violence." She said in those meetings she called on the government to stop violence against protesters and begin to listen to them instead. She also reminded officials that real tolerance and reconciliation should mean that everyone will be entitled to voice their views and demands.
Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's daughter Fatemeh has admitted she met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba but has said Mojtaba told her he has been left out of top-level decision making and has been "just nobody" since last year. In that case, it is not clear why he met Rafsanjani's daughter. Earlier, Security Chief Ali Shamkhani was quoted as having said that Rafsanjani and former leader Khomeini's family members have been called on to ask the protesters to stop their rallies.
Hundreds of Iranian social media users slammed the meetings with reform figures and the members of the two clans. Several social media users opined that the meeting with Mojtaba might be an indication that plans are underway to depose Khamenei and replace him with Mojtaba. Others said this was an indication that Khamenei must leave."
Outside Iran, Iranian political commentator Reza Taghizadeh said in a tweet: "They shamelessly took Taliban II to Kabul based on an inauspicious plot and once again made the reactionaries the rulers of Afghanistan. Bringing Islamic Republic II to power in Iran using government-backed reformists in partnership with leftists is a more dangerous plot."
Meanwhile, Iranian reformist political activist Gholam Ali Rajaei pointed out that serious change is not likely to be easy as "Clerics cannot tolerate not being in power." In another statement Rajaei said that as a first step the government needs to "shut off the annoying loudspeaker in Mashhad." Earlier Rajaei and other Iranian commentators had pointed out that Mashhad's Friday Prayer Imam Ahmad Alamolhoda and the editor of Kayhan newspaper Hossein Shariatmadari constantly pump out hate-speak, annoying key groups of politically active Iranians such as filmmakers, athletes, youths and women.
Blaming these radicals for recent attacks on clerics in public places, Rajaei said in his interview with Rouydad24: "Decision-makers should silence these individuals." His advice must have been already taken on board as Khamenei's office cautioned Alamolhoda to be mindful of what he says. However, there has been no indication of any attempt to silence Shariatmadari.
The motion passed with 25 votes in favor, six opposed and 16 countries abstaining amid cheers of activists amid an intensifying crackdown in Kurdish areas of western Iran over recent days.
The mission will collect evidence into abuses during the authorities' deadly crackdown. Evidence assembled by a mission appointed by the same council was later used for the prosecution of a Syrian ex-officer in Germany who was accused of war crimes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the vote.
"Today's session leaves no doubt that the HRC's membership recognizes the gravity of the situation in Iran, and the fact-finding mission established today will help ensure that those engaged in the ongoing violent suppression of Iranian people are identified and their actions documented," he said in a statement.
The United States has sanctioned three Iranian security officials over the crackdown.
During his opening remarks, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk provided a review of what has been happening since mid-September, when Mahsa (Jina) Amini was killed in custody of the country’s ‘morality or hijab police’, igniting a nationwide uprising against the regime.
The 35th special session of the Human Rights Council was held following an official request submitted on November 11 by Germany and Iceland, as well as the support by over 40 other states.
Turk decried the killing of protesters and lack of accountability for the perpetrators of atrocities. He also expressed concern over "unnecessary and disproportionate" use of force against protesters and the high number of arrests as well as the death sentences handed to protesters.
"The old methods and the fortress mentality of those who wield power simply don't work. In fact, they only aggravate the situation. We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis," Turk said, adding, "The unnecessary and disproportionate use of force must come to an end. I urge the government and those in power to listen.”
He also criticized the Islamic Republic for seeking to delegitimize the protesters and label them as agents of enemies and foreign states, adding that "That's a convenient narrative. As we have seen throughout history, it's the typical narrative of tyranny."
Javaid Rehman, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, was next to take the floor and speak about the grim situation. "Structural impunity has fueled widespread patterns of unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, torture and other human rights violations in Iran," he said, urging the council to "establish an independent investigative mechanism on Iran."
“Both president and head of judiciary have emphasized the need to act violently without any leniency to protesters," he emphasized.
Rehman urged Iranian authorities “to stop using the death penalty as a tool for political oppression and release peaceful protesters. We have received reports of torture including sexual abuse. Victims' families face harassment and intimidation," he said.
Tehran's representative called the debate disgraceful and appalling, before talking about the human rights situation in other countries such as women in Yemen, Palestine and even the indigenous people of Canada. She then continued with a list of statistics about the number of women in different professions in Iran such as judges and sport coaches, something that seems untrue to the Iranian people on social media.
Tehran’s allies such as Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and China, sided with the Islamic Republic and expressed their opposition to the session or any resolution against the Islamic Republic.
China tried but failed to pass an amendment to the motion that would have stripped out the main paragraph referring to a new investigative probe into Iran's suppression of mass protests.
The last-minute amendment was rejected with 25 against, six in favor and 15 abstentions.
During the opening remarks, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk provided a review of what has been happening since mid-September, when Mahsa (Jina) Amini was killed in custody of the country’s ‘morality or hijab police’, igniting a nationwide uprising against the regime.
The 35th special session of the Human Rights Council was held following an official request submitted on November 11 by Germany and Iceland, as well as the support by over 40 other states.
Turk decried the killing of protesters and lack of accountability for the perpetrators of atrocities against the people as part of the crackdown on dissent. He also expressed concerns over "unnecessary and disproportionate" use of force against protesters and the high number of arrests as well as the death sentences handed to protesters. "The security forces... have used live ammunition, birdshot and other metal pellets, tear gas and batons," he said.
"The old methods and the fortress mentality of those who wield power simply don't work. In fact, they only aggravate the situation. We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis," the High Commissioner of Human Rights said, adding, "The unnecessary and disproportionate use of force must come to an end. I urge the government and those in power to listen.”
He also criticized the Islamic Republic for seeking to delegitimize the protesters and label them as agents of enemies and foreign states, adding that "That's a convenient narrative. As we have seen throughout history, it's the typical narrative of tyranny."
Javaid Rehman, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, was next to take the floor and speak about the grim situation. "Structural impunity has fueled widespread patterns of unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, torture and other human rights violations in Iran," he said, urging the council to "establish an independent investigative mechanism on Iran."
“Both president and head of judiciary have emphasized the need to act violently without any leniency to protesters," he emphasized.
Rehman urged Iranian authorities “to stop using the death penalty as a tool for political oppression and release peaceful protesters. We have received reports of torture including sexual abuse. Victims' families face harassment and intimidation," he said, adding that "The victims' families are forced to make false statements, under duress, stating that their children committed suicide. Iranian authorities spread false statements about deaths in custody and protester deaths. They fabricate false scenarios."
Tehran's representative called the debate disgraceful and appalling, before talking about the human rights situation in other countries such as women in Yemen, Palestine and even the indigenous people of Canada. She then continued with a list of statistics about the number of women in different professions in Iran such as judges and sport coaches, something that seems untrue to the Iranian people on social media.
Member states in the Council as well as observers that spoke later in the session condemned the regime for its repression and called for a moratorium on the death penalty. They decried the violence and the restrictions on Internet access for the people.
Tehran’s allies such as Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and China, sided with the Islamic Republic and expressed their opposition to the session or any resolution against the Islamic Republic.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, “We are now proposing an independent and impartial UN mechanism to be established to investigate these human rights violations so that those responsible can be held accountable. Because impunity prevents justice. Justice for sisters. Justice for sons. Justice for mothers.”
She then referred to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party, mentioning Article 19, the right to hold opinion without interference; Article 21, the right of peaceful assembly, Article 2, respect to all peoples’ rights without distinction of any kind such as gender.”
Council members are set to adopt a resolution aimed at holding the Islamic Republic accountable, which has been lobbying against the motion and sent a delegation to Geneva earlier this month to urge countries to vote against the resolution.
In another global move over Iran’s denial of women's rights and crackdown on protests, calls on the UN to expel the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women are also getting stronger with Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands and the United States behind the push. UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights group based in Geneva, has drafted a resolution for the 54-nation UN Economic Social Council (ECOSOC) to remove Iran.