English

Issued by:Society for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran – Austria Vienna – 14 December 2025 To:Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsUnited Nations Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Special Rapporteurs We, the undersigned, as an independent human rights organization based in Vienna, express our deep concern and strong protest regarding the suspicious death of the late

Vienna – Two waves of Israeli airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on 25 August 2025 have resulted in the deaths of 20 civilians and injuries to more than 80 others, in what human rights organizations are denouncing as a flagrant violation of international law.

We’d like to express our deep concern regarding the case of Dr. Ahmad Reza Djalali, a respected Swedish-Iranian physician and scholar, who has now been imprisoned in Iran since nearly ten years. Dr. Djalali has been held under circumstances that constitute arbitrary detention according to international human rights standards.

We, two Iranian human rights organizations based in Vienna, express our deep sorrow and outrage over the deadly explosion at the dock of Rajaee Port (Bandar Abbas), which has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 70 workers and injuries to hundreds of defenseless citizens. We condemn this atrocity, which constitutes a grave violation of human dignity, human

Dear Ms. Kallas, As the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, you face the challenging task of shaping European foreign policy in a time of significant geopolitical tensions. In this regard, we would like to draw your attention to the upcoming nuclear negotiations between the European Union, the United States, and Iran and urgently appeal to you to include

We strongly demand the immediate and unconditional release of Iranian human rights defender Reza Khandan, husband of renowned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Reza Khandan was arrested by the Iranian security forces on December 13, 2024 – the exact day on which the new repressive law on the compulsory wearing of the hijab, which further exacerbates discrimination and oppression of

Press releases Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – 07 January 2025 GENEVA – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday said he was deeply troubled by the marked increase in executions in Iran last year. At least 901 people were reportedly executed in 2024, including some 40 in one week alone in December. At least 853

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Members of the Austrian Government, the European Commission, the World Medical Association, and other relevant medical and international legal organizations, We, the undersigned, urgently call your attention to the systematic attacks on hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza by the Israeli military. These actions constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law and threaten the very

Introduction With profound compassion and great respect, we commemorate Iranian activist Kianoosh Sanjari, who sacrificed his life to shed light on the ongoing human rights violations in Iran. His suicide on November 13, 2024, cannot be seen as an act of despair but must be recognized as a desperate cry for justice and freedom. This communiqué aims not only to

The murder of Dr Masoud Davoodi, a cardiologist and professor at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, by the brother of one of his former patients who had passed away, has triggered widespread reactions among the Iranian medical community. This incident has heightened safety concerns for medical staff regarding threats and physical assaults, leading to protests and strikes in Yasuj. The