On March 21st or 22nd the UN Human Rights Council will vote on the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. We need your help to ensure the vote is successful and demonstrates broad international support for the Special Rapporteur.
The Special Rapporteur, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, and his office have played a critical role in the documentation of the Iranian government’s human rights violations. As the human rights situation within Iran remains deplorable, the country mandate remains one of the international communities’ most important mechanisms to hold Iranian officials accountable for their abuses. Since the creation of the mandate, there has been a steady increase of resolutions, reports, observations, and urgent appeals by UN bodies regarding the rights crisis in Iran, despite non-cooperation by Iranian authorities.
The Special Rapporteur’s mandate has mobilized, in an unprecedented manner, Iranians both inside and outside the country, to engage with the international community. The office of the Special Rapporteur is widely viewed as a critical focal point for documenting rights abuses and as an impartial, reliable channel of communication between victims and the United Nations. Click here to voice your support for the Special Rapporteur, and urge member states to vote yes.