Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Iran
Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America
UN Human Rights Council – 46th Session
Geneva, March 9, 2021
As Delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Mark Cassayre
Madame President,
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his reporting on Iran.
We remain deeply concerned with the human rights situation in Iran. We echo his concerns over unjust or arbitrary detentions by the government, including of American citizens and thousands of Iranians during the 2019/2020 protests. Detainees endure deplorable prison conditions, and exposure to COVID-19. We also share the Special Rapporteur’s concerns over the reported lack of fair trials and forced confessions that preceded the executions of Javid Dehghan and Ruhollah Zam. Iran must end its systematic use of an arbitrary and unfair justice system to detain and impose sentences against human rights defenders, including Nasrin Sotoudeh, journalists, members of minority groups, such as the Baha’i, and others who dissent from the government.
We call on Iran to ease restrictions on freedoms of religion or belief, peaceful assembly, association, and expression, including the stifling of access to information via the Internet, and allow its citizens to freely participate in the political process.