![]() | |||||||||||||||||||
. | . | . | . | ||||||||||||||||
. |
IRAN MAY ASK ENDING UNITED NATION'S HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING By Safa Haeri at the UN HQ in Geneva GENEVA FIRST APR. (IPS)
Seasoned analysts and diplomats at the UN suggested that by adopting a
conciliatory attitude, the Islamic Republic might be out to ask the
United Nations to end the mandate of its special Representative, the
Canadian diplomat Maurice Copithorne.
Asked about this likelihood, Mr. Capithorne said despite the fact that
he finds progresses had been made concerning the situation of human rights
in Iran, but taking into account that the way to reasonable situation is
still very long, he therefore think that the Islamic Iran should remain
under scrutiny.
At the past sessions, representatives from the Islamic Republic would
vehemently reject the report from the special Representative, accusing
him to compile his report on biased information obtained from opposition
sources, oblivion of the fact they have never allowed him in Iran but once.
Observers described Mr. Capithorne's report as "lenient", noting that
he favours keeping doors of dialogue open with the Iranian.
"Capithorne may be attempting to support Khatami, to the point that
he sometimes downplays human rights issues and aspects that are, or could
be very serious. That's way he says things without naming them while trying
to please the authorities", commented a UN expert.
Presented to the 55th session of the UN's Commission on Human
Rights started in Geneva on 31st of May, the UN's Special representative
for human rights conditions in the Islamic Republic noted that "so far"
the names of those accused of have killed Iranian politicians and
intellectuals have not been released, nor have any plans been announced
for the trials of those concerned.
"In short", Mr. Capithorne observed during his brief statement, the
violence appears to have been attributed to the work of a few rogue or
extremist elements including certain persons within the ranks of the
Ministry of Information".
On the subject of freedom of expression, Mr. Capithorne noted in
his statement that "the struggle for the full enjoyment of human rights is
being more or less continuously joined. In the last three months, there
have been more cases of journals being suspended and fines imposed, and
in some cases for declared reasons that seems doubtful at best".
"In the most publicised incident, a university lecturer and seminary
teacher was arrested by the clerics court and according to press reports,
charged with among other things confusing public opinion", the special
Representative observed in reference to hojatoleslam Mohsen Kkadivar, an
adviser to the President whom he did not named.
Earlier yesterday, the Special Representative had met extensively Ms.
Parastou Foruhar, the daughter of the late Dariush and Parvaneh Foruhar,
the leaders of the secularist Iranian people's Party who where murdered
last November in Tehran by official agents of the regime.
Flanked by Dr Karim Lahiji, the president of the Paris-based Iranian
League of Human Rights (in exile), Ms. Parastou explained to Mr. Capithorne
that since the acknowledgement by the Islamic authorities of Iran that
their own agents have assassinated her parents, as well as at least 2 other
intellectual dissidents, yet nothing has emerged as who ordered the
assassinations, who are the killers and who co-ordinated the murders.
That's why, Ms. Foruhar and Mr. Lahiji insisted on the necessity of
an international commission made of independent lawyers and experts going
to Iran to investigate the killings.
However, at press conference and meeting with representatives of Non
Government Organisations, Mr. Capithorne admitted that he would "highly
doubt" that the Islamic authorities would ever accept such a delegation,
observing that all past demands by international jurist to go to defend
the case of Mr. Abbas Amir Entezam, Iran's and probably one of the world's
longest political prisoner had been flatly rejected by the Iranian
authorities.
Asked if he has any information about how the Iranian government is
conducting the investigations on the recent killings, Mr. Capithorne
admitted that he has no more information than does the family of the
victims.
Asked if in his view the West should support Khatami, Mr.
Copithorne suggested a very cautious attitude by foreigners, for, he
explained, a clear backing given to the President can be interpreted
by the conservatives who opposes him as an outright interference in the
interior affairs of Iran.
In his statement, Mr. Capithorne described as "important development"
the Councils elections that took place a month ago. "The Councils have
been convened for April 29 and, while it remains to be seen how much power
they will be able to exercise, there is a broad expectation that this
grass root process is a major step forward in the development of democratic
institutions in Iran", he told the 53 nations Human Rights Commission.
However, on the subject of minorities and women, Mr. Capithorne
noted that "in the matter regarding the Baha'is in particular, while there
have been some interesting developments which may indicate that improvement
could follow, no evidence has come to my attention that the pressure under
which the Baha'i community in Iran lives is lessening at this point in
time". ©Copyright 1999, Iran Press
|
. | |||||||||||||||||
. | ![]() |
. | |||||||||||||||||