HCHR_ Addressing the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council, Dr. Kazem Gharibabadi said anti-Iranian Farsi-language TV channels such as Iran International, BBC Farsi, and Manoto dedicated their capacities to notorious terrorists who were actively involved in the 2022 riots in Iran.
The Vice-President of the Judiciary for International Affairs and the Secretary-General of the High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran also stressed that establishing a so-called fact-finding mission is an entirely politically motivated and pointless move.
He added that the countries responsible for orchestrating the riots in Iran are subsequently experiencing similar upheavals, noting that they themselves are instrumental in establishing such a mechanism! The following is the full text of the statement delivered by Dr. Gharibabadi during the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1.Today, we must be the voice of those whose voices have fallen on deaf ears of international human rights mechanisms. France is nowadays witnessing the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters, widespread arbitrary arrests, and draconian restrictions on the Internet and social media. Parents of teenagers are facing the severe consequences of imprisonment for two years or a substantial financial penalty of up to 30,000 euros if their children participate in the rallies. France finds itself in a peculiar situation despite the absence of foreign interference and media instigation. The populace, devoid of weaponry and devoid of any intention to incite a coup, has taken to the streets. Astonishingly, the French police have resorted to the apartheid and child killer regime of Israel in order to quash the rallies. It would be prudent for the Human Rights Council to convene an special session to examine the situation in France. Unfortunately, double standards and hypocrisy have dominated human rights mechanisms; human rights so-called advocates have also deliberately remained silent.
2. Let us not overlook the fact that in November, a number of Western countries convened an special session and formed what they refer to as a fact-finding mission, ostensibly to investigate the so-called infringements upon the rights of women and children during the recent riots in Iran! One must question their genuine concern for women and children.
- In Germany, regrettably, it is a disheartening reality that, on a daily basis, one woman falls victim to murder. Furthermore, an alarming statistic reveals that every hour, a staggering 15 women endure the harrowing ordeal of domestic or sexual violence. Astonishingly, as if this were not distressing enough, it is distressing to note that one out of every three women encounters physical or sexual violence from the tender age of 15 onwards. Additionally, it is disconcerting to acknowledge that within the German society, a gender wage gap of 18 percent persists, with women constituting the majority of those who confront poverty in their twilight years.
- In the United States, a staggering number of 1,800 women fall victim to murder each year. Shockingly, a woman is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds, and distressingly, a child experiences the same horrifying fate every 8 minutes. It is disheartening to note that more than 200 thousand individuals, constituting one-third of incarcerated women worldwide, are confined within American prisons. Furthermore, an alarming statistic reveals that over 70% of women have endured physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. Regrettably, when comparing the rights afforded to women in similar circumstances with those granted to men, it becomes apparent that women's rights only amount to 77% of their male counterparts’, whereas individuals of African descent face an even more disconcerting reality with a mere 64% of equal rights.
- A lamentable reality persists in Britain, as more than 130 women are murdered each year. A distressing number of 35,000 women are subjected to the appalling crime of rape annually. Equally disheartening is the fact that a staggering 433,000 women endure the torment of sexual violence within the same timeframe. An alarming 1.6 million acts of violence are perpetrated against girls and women each year. In 2022, more than 5,583 women committed suicide due to insurmountable debt burdens, housing predicaments, and an exorbitant cost of living.
- In France, more than 110 women are murdered every year. Over 200,000 domestic violence cases are registered annually. 87% of the victims of domestic violence are women. One out of every three women is subjected to violence. And one woman out of five is a victim of workplace sexual harassment.
3.Add this to the crimes these countries perpetrated against the people, specifically targeting Iranian women and children.
They have done so with the support of 85 German, 19 French, 18 British, and 18 American companies, in addition to Dutch companies that provided the Saddam regime with chemical weapons of mass destruction. This despicable act resulted in the martyrdom of 13,000 Iranians and the poisoning of over 100,000 innocent Iranian civilians. Applying or implementing illegal and cruel unilateral sanctions against the people of Iran, which has caused the pain and suffering of women and children, is deemed a crime against humanity by these countries.
4.Dear colleagues and non-governmental organizations, do these countries possess the competence to engage in discourse on the rights of women and children in Iran when they bear culpability for the transgressions perpetrated against them? How can they audaciously lay claim to champion women’s and children’s rights?! Has the Human Rights Council ever demonstrated an aptitude for grappling with the predicament faced by women and children in these countries?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. Iran did not encounter mere simple and peaceful circumstances during last autumn. In Iran, numerous assemblies are convened annually, even in the absence of official authorization, and they receive backing from law enforcement forces.
6. During the unrest, the secret services of 20 foreign countries were involved in fomenting the riots. Terrorists also entered the scene, and nearly 100 people affiliated with terrorist groups, mostly from Monafeqin (MKO), were arrested. Over 8300 war and rebel weapons were discovered during the riots. The terrorists martyred more than 20 people and law enforcement forces in just three days in November last year. During the three months of unrest, more than 75 law enforcement forces and people were martyred by the rioters, and over 7000 law enforcement forces were also injured.
More than 2,100 places and public and private property and equipment worth 20 thousand billion Rials were destroyed by the rioters. The intricate scheme of the riots was conceived within the intellectual realms of Western nations’ think tanks and subsequently executed with substantial backing from Western intelligence agencies in terms of finances, weaponry, and media assistance. The intrusion of foreign entities, the instigation by anti-Iranian media, and the infiltration of terrorists and weaponry into these gatherings have transformed the situation into a state of full-scale riots. Consequently, the killing scheme resulted in the unfortunate loss of innocent lives.
7. During the riots, Instagram taught how to make smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails, advertised for the sale of various types of firearms, and dedicated its capacity to terrorist and violent groups. Despite Iran’s official request, this platform refused to remove the 3 million posts related to the sale of fire arms. This is while under the pretext of promoting violence, Instagram has so far removed millions of pages and posts containing the name or image of martyr Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the U.S. regime. In just the first month of the unrest, Twitter created more than 50,000 fake Farsi accounts to act against Iran.
On the other hand, London-based anti-Iranian Farsi-language TV channels such as Iran International, BBC Farsi, and Manoto (You and I) dedicated their capacities to notorious terrorists for interviews. They devoted a large portion of their programs to promoting violence and crime, teaching the destruction of public and private property, closing the streets, providing training on how to attack and beat the police, and teaching insults and threats.
8. Although the international human rights mechanisms, certain countries, and affiliated media outlets supported the rioters, all of them deliberately kept silent about a terrorist attack that occurred on 26 October 2022 at a religious site in Shiraz. The terrorist attack resulted in the martyrdom of 15 people, including several women and children, and injured more than 30 others.
9. Despite the rioters’ large-scale violence, people’s access to the Internet was never blocked.All domestic and foreign messengers (except Instagram and WhatsApp) were available to the public without any let or hindrance.
10. The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran vis-à-vis the riots, even the rioters, was to use the minimal legal powers of law enforcement forces. That is why the law enforcement officers themselves suffered the most damage. Nevertheless, in the wake of the recent amnesty granted by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, prompted by the proposal of the Chief of the Judiciary, nearly all of the accused and convicts, both those in custody and those released on bail, were granted pardons. Only a handful of those who had committed violent crimes were not pardoned.
11. Protecting and promoting human rights is the governments’ exclusive responsibility. In addition, an independent and professional committee has been established pursuant to the directive of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the objective of identifying and addressing all material and bodily harm suffered by citizens and law enforcement personnel, receiving and investigating the complaints of the injured and investigating the claims about the violation of people's rights during the incidents.
Despite the Islamic Republic of Iran’s accountability, establishing a so-called fact-finding mission is indeed an entirely politically motivated and unacceptable move. The very countries responsible for orchestrating the riots in Iran –and of course, they themselves are subsequently experiencing similar upheavals – are the same ones instrumental in establishing such a mechanism! I must underscore that the conspiratorial machinations orchestrated against Iran were resoundingly unsuccessful, owing to the substantial foundational support of the Establishment, the swift assertion of control over the situation, and the disillusionment experienced by countries hell-bent on further inflaming the international climate of hostility vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic of Iran hastily. It is expected that these countries adopt a more pragmatic approach and rectify their misguided policies and practices.