Iran: UN experts call for immediate release of key opposition leaders ahead of presidential elections
Geneva, 11 February 2013 – On the second anniversary of the house arrest, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of
human rights in Iran, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the
Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for the immediate release of two key opposition
leaders in Iran, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi and their family members.
The Special Rapporteurs also expressed concerns about the detention of two daughters of Mr Mossavi, Ms Zahra Mossavi and
Ms Nargis Mossavi, who were reportedly detained today after speaking out against their parents’ house arrest.
“I urge the Iranian government to immediately and unconditionally release the two opposition leaders and their family
members, and to end all restrictions on their movement and legally protected activities,” said Ahmed Shaheed, Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.
Former presidential candidates Mehdi Karoubi and Mir Hossein Mossavi, along with his wife Zahra Rahnavard, have been
kept largely “incommunicado” in their homes since February 2011. Two years ago, they were detained after staging a rally
in solidarity with protesters in Egypt, for which they had sought permission from the authorities.
“As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Iranian government is obliged to
protect the civil liberties of all its citizens, including the rights to be protected against arbitrary detention
(Article 9), to be informed of any charges against them, to be given access to legal counsel, and to face an independent
and impartial tribunal”, said Mr. Shaheed.
On 29 August 2012, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted an Opinion on this case, finding the detention to be
arbitrary. “None of these people have been charged with a crime since their arrest, or have been brought before a judge
to contest the legality of their detention, said El Hadji Malick Sow, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group. “This is in
violation of Iran’s international obligations and national laws, which provide that no one shall be subjected to
arbitrary arrest or detention.”
The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, once again
reminded the Iranian authorities of their international obligations to protect the rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly, association and expression. “Such rights are essential components of democracy and are all the more relevant
in the context of Iran’s upcoming presidential elections, to be held next June. It is of the utmost importance that
members of civil society, including the media and human rights defenders, as well as political activists, be given
greater space to avail themselves of these rights”, Mr. Kiai added.
In this regard, the Special Rapporteurs also urged the Government of Iran to release hundreds of other prisoners of
conscience who remain in prison for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, or freedom
of association and assembly.
“I call on the Government to facilitate a transparent and open environment for the election by releasing opposition
leaders and allowing the media to effectively and independently report, without being harassed, threatened or arrested.
Continued restrictions of this kind will undermine the inclusiveness and fairness of the future presidential elections,”
concluded Mr. Shaheed.
UN Human Rights, country page - Iran: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/IRIndex.aspx
Check the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm
ENDS