While the West is engaged in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, situation of human rights in Iran becomes more alarming by the day. Mismanagement, clashes between government wings over power and economic sanctions has resulted in reduced levels of life expectancy in Iran.
Even as they make gestures toward rapprochement with the West, Iran’s leaders remain among the worlds worst human rights offenders, according to a State Department report Thursday that shows an increase in reported violations since the relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani took office last year, reported Bradenton Newspaper.
“The most egregious human rights problems were the government’s manipulation of the electoral process, which severely limited citizens’ right to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections; restrictions on civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, speech, and press; and disregard for the physical integrity of persons whom it arbitrarily and unlawfully detained, tortured, or killed,” the report said.
“We’ve seen little meaningful improvement in human rights in Iran under the new government, including torture, political imprisonment, harassment of religious and ethnic minorities,” said Uzra Zeya, the acting assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. “Overall the situation remains poor.”
The report documented Iran’s record of floggings and court-ordered amputations, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, crackdown on press freedoms and 624 executions – many after flimsy trials.
Earlier Amnesty International had highlighted “human rights in Iran have remained a low priority despite earlier promises made during the presidential campaign; furthermore Iran’s prisons remain full of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, many of whom suffer from lack of adequate medical care”.
Rejohelat.info