Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Human rights violations of ethnic minorities in Iran
HRC Side Event Speech
13 June 2014
I would like to thank the organizers of this side event for inviting the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
(UNPO) - an international, non-violent and democratic membership organisation to participate today and to talk about
human rights violations of ethnic minorities in Islamic Republic of Iran. Our members are indigenous peoples, minorities,
and unrecognised or occupied territories. In Iran, we represent the Baloch in the South-East, the Ahwazi Arabs in the
South-West, the Iranian Kurds in the North-West, and Southern Azerbaijan in the North-West.
Iran is a country with different ethnicities, languages, cultures and religions. Every human being should have the right to
fully express and practice his or her cultural and ethnic tradition and believes: these are the things that make us and
others know where we come from, this reflects our identity. If people are not allowed to express their identity, and are
forced to assimilate with a dominant culture, the fabric of that very society becomes very fragile, as is the case in Iran.
In current-day Iran, the ruling Persian elite wants to push minority groups into conformity, in order to achieve a country
with a national language (Persian) and a national - or state - religion (Shia Islam). Anyone who does not confirm to this
vision is being marginalized, excluded and prosecuted, regardless of the individual’s fundamental human rights. In Iran
we are witnessing a wide range of human rights violations, from civil and political, to economic, social and cultural rights.
Although Iran is officially party to the ICCPR and the ICESCR as well as the CERD – the latter aimed at providing specific
protection against racial discrimination - minority groups continue to be specifically targeted. Whereas the
aforementioned human rights treaties entered into force prior to Iran’s Islamic Revolution, theological differences now
serve as a pretext for not respecting all of their provisions. Let me now introduce several of the ongoing violations in more
detail:
Environment
Land confiscation, forced migration to other provinces, resettling of Persians in minority regions, deliberate poor
management of water resources and agriculture are among the many human rights violations facing Iran’s minorities.
More concretely: the drying up of lake Orumieh in Southern Azerbaijan has led to the destruction of the lake’s ecosystem
and higher occurrences of wind-blown salt-storms in the region, whereas the drying up of the Hor Al Azim lagoon in
Falahie, or as they call it "shdegan", has caused 1000's of villagers to leave their houses and migrate to slum areas around
the city. The deviation of the Karoon river to Persian provinces for agricultural purposes is very worrisome, while
indigenous Arabs in the Ahwaz region and Lurs in Char Mahale Bakhtiari are suffering from a lack of potable water and
drought of their farms.
Cultural activities and language rights
According to article 15 of the Iranian constitution the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media,
as well as for teaching literature in schools, is allowed in addition to Persian. However, on a daily basis, cultural activists
are executed or imprisoned for practicing this right. The cases of Farzad Kamangar, a Kurdish elementary teacher, who
was executed in May 2010 and Hadi Rashedi and Hshem Sha'abani, two teachers and cultural activists executed in early
2014, who were all sentenced and charged for "enmity against God", are just a few examples.
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Moreover, the practice of ‘Persianisation’ is thriving: geographic names are changed into Persian, governors of Persian
origin for ‘minority regions’ are appointed, and children from minority communities tend to have two names (one official
Persian, and one given by the family).
Economy and poverty
Minorities in Iran also face discrimination when it comes to employment opportunities, or rather the lack thereof. In order
to be able to gain access to governmental positions one must fulfil the criteria that are set out by the government.
Considering that almost all positions require the applicant to indicate his or her religion, not adhering to the ‘correct’
religion or not having a Persian name is enough to disqualify a candidate.
Despite being rich in resources, and located in a geographically advantageous position, the Ahwaz province is facing
deploringly high levels of poverty. Whereas the unemployment rate in Dezful, a city with a Persian majority, is only 7%,
the Arab majority cities of Abadan and Mohammerah currently face unemployment rates of 41% and 60%, respectively.
Similarly, 76% of the Baloch population of the Sistan and Balochistan province, which is the least developed province in
Iran, live in extreme poverty. Being Sunni, on the one hand, and not being Persian, on the other hand, has contributed to
this precarious situation – since, as I already mentioned, these are factors limiting the employment opportunities.
Also in Kurdistan there is widespread poverty and unemployment, although the majority of Kurdish youth have better
access to education (although not in their mother tongue) and employment opportunities than the aforementioned
minority groups. However, this has pushed Kurdish university graduates to work as a "kool bar" - a physically demanding
job which consists of carrying and selling goods between the borders of Iraq and Iran in the hope of a modest income,
often taking the risk of being shot at by the Iranian border control.
According to KURDPA news agency, 83 koolbar have been killed and 109 injured by the border police of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, the latest victim being Salah Weisi who was killed in early May this year.
Religion
According to article 13 of the Iranian constitution, Zoroastrian, Jewish and Christian Iranians are the only recognized
religious minorities. All other ethnic or religious minority components officially do not exist. Mandaeans are followers of
an ancient religion, and have long been residing on the bank of Karoon river, as they need to live nearby current water in
order to perform their religious rituals. However, the government has increasingly pushed the peaceful Mandaeans to
abandon their natural environments and seek refuge in other countries.
Also Baha'i have long been discriminated against. According to a statement by the Baha'i International Community, the
Baha’i graveyard in Shiraz is likely to be destroyed, as a result of Persians claiming ownership of this piece of land.
Last but not least I should mention the overall persecution of Sunnis in Iran. Kurds, Baluch, Turkemans and a percentage
of Ahwazi Arabs are Sunni Muslims. Although Tehran has one million Sunni inhabitants, no permission to build a Sunni
mosque there has been granted so far. A large percentage of Baluch, Kurds and Turkeman are prosecuted and imprisoned
under various pretexts, often times labeled as Wahabis who are conspiring against the Islamic republic of Iran. Today,
thousands of Kurds, Turkeman, Baluch and Arabs are spending their lives behind bars, waiting for their execution to be
carried out. Often times, this also regards minors.
Freedom of Speech and Assembly
The right to assembly is violated in Iran, and especially protests by minorities have been suppressed by the Iranian security
forces. These forces use extreme tactics, not only arresting people, who then risk torture and the death penalty, but killing
participants during the protests as well.
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Any kind of resistance or criticism against the Iranian government is met with extreme measures: enforced
disappearances, imprisonment, torture and forced confessions which are broadcasted on national TV, and ultimately
execution. The sentence handed down is ever so often "enmity against God or Moharebeh" or conspiracy against the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
First and foremost the killing of civilians must stop. As long as minorities are being jailed and prosecuted and are
preoccupied with just staying alive, there is no space left to demand other rights, such as education in one’s mother
tongue or the practicing of traditions freely.
Until this day, around 60 Kurdish activists have been sentenced to death, and hundreds are in prison. Since the April 2005
uprising more than 40 people have been executed and hundreds spending long sentences in prisons. In Baluchistan
executions are also being excessively carried out on charges of drug trafficking.
The situation of minorities in Iran has not changed for the better over the course of the past decades. Under Rouhani’s
presidency, the number of executions of individuals belonging to minority communities has increased. Minority rights in
Iran are not only being severely abused, but ignored altogether. The human rights situation in Iran is particularly grave
and requires increased and continued attention on the part of the International Community and the United Nations. Amid
debates about the nuclear issue, we must not lose sight of the urgent need for improvements in minority and human
rights in the country.
Thank you for your attention.