Switzerland and other countries deplore human rights situation in Iran
Published: Monday, Mar 18th 2024, 17:40
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A group of 54 countries, including Switzerland, has denounced the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, they called on the authorities of the Islamic Republic to put an end to impunity
In a joint statement to the Council, these states call on Iran to abandon a draft law. This would tighten penalties for women who refuse to wear the Islamic veil or do not wear it properly. It provides for a prison sentence of up to ten years as well as lashes, travel restrictions, higher fines or internet bans.
A report published on March 8 by the UN Human Rights Council's Commission of Experts stated that the Iranian authorities had committed acts amounting to crimes against humanity in suppressing protests in 2022.
In the fall of 2022, the death of the young Iranian Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini triggered the most serious protests in the history of the Islamic Republic. For months, young people in particular took to the streets to demonstrate against the Islamic system of rule.
Amini is said to have worn her headscarf incorrectly, was arrested by the notorious moral guards and died shortly afterwards. The commission of experts of the UN Human Rights Council concluded that physical violence after the arrest led to her death.
©Keystone/SDA
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