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The most recent fatal incident involving the Iranian police has brought to light the systematic use of torture and the violation of human rights. Despite the initiation of investigations and inquiries, expectations for a comprehensive reform of the Iranian security authorities have, thus far, remained unfulfilled. The case of Seyyed Mohammad Mirmousavi, a 36-year-old Iranian national who died in police

The systematic deprivation of the right to medical treatment of prisoners by the Islamic Republic is politically motivated and must be considered torture. The wilful denial of medical care to political prisoners, which has long been practised in the Islamic Republic of Iran, is on the increase. The Iranian authorities are thus intensifying the punishment of political opponents. Political prisoners

The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday in Tehran during the inauguration of the new Iranian President Peseshkian is to be regarded as an extrajudicial killing. As Human Rights advocates, we – like the foreign policy spokesperson of the European Union – strongly oppose extrajudicial killings and support the rule of law, including in international criminal justice. Furthermore,

The song “Baraye” by Hajipour is regarded as the anthem of the “Woman – Life – Freedom” movement in Iran, which prompted mass protests against the regime following the death of the young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022. In a recent post on his Instagram account, Hajipour revealed that he had been sentenced to three

The death of president Ebrahim Raisi must not deny people in Iran their right to justice, truth and reparation for the litany of crimes under international law and human rights violations committed since the 1980s during his time in the echelons of power, said Amnesty International today, following his passing in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province. Ebrahim Raisi,

© https://rsf.org/en/map-2024-world-press-freedom-indexThe organisation “Reporters Without Borders” begins this year’s report by stating that press freedom is being threatened worldwide by the same people and institutions that are supposed to be the guarantors of press freedom!While half of the world’s population is taking part in various elections this year, political pressure on the world’s press is increasing. Indicators show that the

The chain of shocking news from the Islamic Republic of Iran continues unabated. As if the exceptionally high number of executions were not enough, we have received the news that yet another young person has to pay with his life for exercising his internationally recognised right to freedom of expression and art. We are talking about Toomaj Salehi, the young

We, the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Iran – Austria and Medical Professionals for Human Rights in Iran – Austria, would like to express our deep concern about the attack on Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati in London. It is deeply disturbing that a journalist dedicated to disseminating information from whatever angle has been the victim of such

The circumstances of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny must be independently investigated. Like many prominent Kremlin critics before him, Alexei Navalny paid for his fearless fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin with his life. The country’s most famous political prisoner died on Friday, 16 February, at the age of 47 in the notorious IK-3 penal colony in

Dear Mrs Deputy High Commissioner Al-Nashif Dear Mr High Commissioner Türk, As Austrian-Iranian organisations working for human rights in Iran, we are concerned that the visit of Deputy High Commissioner Nada Al-Sharif to Iran is being misused by the Iranian regime for propaganda purposes. Numerous human rights groups worldwide have already appealed to the OHCHR to postpone the visit until