October 30, 2003
Uranium enrichment or violation of Iranian rights on a daily basis?
Majid Mohamadi
Which issue is more important for Iranian people: uranium enrichment or violation of their rights on a daily basis?
Iran's government agreed, after months of resistance, to accept stricter international inspections of its nuclear sites and to suspend production of enriched uranium.
This is what the U.S and Europeans asked for in favor of their national interests. Now it is time for another pressure on Iranian government that “benefits” Iranian people, i.e. "human rights inspections". Iran's government has shown that only surrenders to the pressure of superior international actors. Khamene`i and authoritarian faction understand the language of power. If the U.S. and Europeans use their power in favor of improving human rights in Iran, the government will agree, again after months or years of resistance, to accept stricter international inspections of its prisons, courts and other judicial and security facilities, and to suspend use of torture of political activists and stoning the women or amputation. Iranian government must sign, ratify and carry out an additional agreement under the universal declaration of Human Rights that would allow surprise inspections of its judicial and security installations.
The international terms for compliance should include unfettered access by officials of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) — the United Nations body that monitors violations of human rights around the world and undertakes preventive human rights action — to interrogation sites and jails, as well as observing places where political activists and intellectuals are tortured.
Iran's government should also commit itself to answer probing questions posed by human rights organizations about the recent violations of human rights especially in the trials of journalists and political activists, killing of Zahra Kazemi, serial killings of intellectuals and attack of paramilitary forces to the dorms in Allaameh-e Tabaatabaa`i, Tehran and Tabriz universities.
As Europeans urged Iran to adopt a protocol to the nonproliferation treaty that provides for intrusive inspections on short notice, and to halt its uranium enrichment program, they must urge her to fully comply with international regulations and treaties regarding human rights, stop serious violations of human rights, promote ratification and implementation of international standards, and promote the establishment of national human rights infrastructures. I hope there will also be unusual visit by European foreign ministers, together, for the sake of human rights.
http://news.gooya.com/english/archives/001145.php
Yes.
Thanks.
