Key PointsJavaid Rehman, the United Nations Particular Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, just lately met with members of Australia’s Iranian neighborhood. He known as on Australia to analyze ‘people whose belongings might have been gathered by means of violence or human rights abuses in Iran’. ‘The Australian authorities has been very vocal in criticising human rights violations,’ Mr Rehman stated.
As Iran faces scrutiny for its alleged function within the Hamas-Israel conflict, a UN skilled has urged international locations, together with Australia, to contemplate itemizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.
Throughout a visit to Australia, the United Nations Particular Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, informed SBS Persian that he “doesn’t see any difficulty” with recognising IRGC as a terrorist organisation if governments are satisfied by his studies.
Javaid Rehman, Particular Rapporteur on the Scenario of Human Rights in Islamic Republic of Iran, 21 March 2023. Credit score: SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA/AAP Picture
“The proof that I’ve seen reveals the function of IRGC within the killing of protesters [in Iran], their actions outdoors of Iran, comparable to supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, and widespread corruption and human rights abuses,” Mr Rehman stated.
“I feel it is necessary for the governments of Australia, america, the UK, the European Union, and all the world’s governments to look into the function of the IRGC.”
‘I am not keen to take any threats upon my mandate’
In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council re-established the mandate below the title Particular Rapporteur on the Scenario of Human Rights within the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Whereas Mr Rehman has held this place since 2018, the Iranian authorities has not allowed him entry to the nation throughout this time.
“It is not that I am involved about my safety. It’s that the Iranian authorities doesn’t permit me entry. It is not simply me personally, however my predecessors. Because the mandate was renewed in 2011, none of my predecessors have been allowed to go to the nation,” he stated.
“I am right here to conduct my function because the UN-appointed particular rapporteur. And I feel that the Iranian authorities should respect me. They’ve to interact with me totally. I am not keen to take any type of risk, direct or oblique, upon my mandate as a result of it’s a UN mandate they’re coping with.”
Mr Rehman was invited by the Australian Labor authorities to fulfill officers and people affected by human rights violations in Iran.
‘Australia has been very vocal in criticising human rights violations’
He stated the Australian authorities has been outspoken in criticising human rights violations in Iran, notably following, which sparked protests throughout the nation.
In line with Human Rights Activists Information Company, a minimum of 517 protesters have been killed within the unrest, and a number of other thousand individuals have been arrested.
“The Australian authorities has been very vocal in criticising human rights violations [in Iran]. It has supported the assorted establishments and mechanisms within the United Nations, together with my mandate,” Mr Rehman stated.
“They’ve additionally engaged with different UN member states and members of the Human Rights Council in establishing the UN fact-finding mission, established final 12 months in November. There are numerous methods whereby the Australian authorities helps the individuals of Iran.”
Requires formal investigation of people in Australia
In his revealed in February, Mr Rehman really helpful the worldwide neighborhood “impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran to make sure that measures comparable to humanitarian exemptions are given broad and sensible impact”.
“I make suggestions primarily based by myself evaluation. Relating to focused sanctions, I’ve emphasised that sanctions needs to be positioned on human rights violators. And I additionally say that these sanctions needs to be extra coherent and organised, as inconsistent sanctions wouldn’t have any affect,” he stated.
Because the rebellion in Iran, the Australian authorities has applied 5 rounds of sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Nonetheless, Mr Rehman stated extra motion could possibly be taken.
“Within the case of Australia, there are people whose belongings might have been gathered by means of violence or human rights abuses in Iran. Australian officers should view these people as individuals suspected of committing prison exercise below worldwide and human rights legislation.
I’d need formal and correct investigations of those people. If these individuals have dedicated gross human rights violations below worldwide legislation, they need to be charged, indicted and convicted.
Javaid Rehman
Tina Kordrostami, an Iranian-Australian activist, had a gathering with Javaid Rehman, the Particular Rapporteur on the Scenario of Human Rights within the Islamic Republic of Iran. Credit score: Provided
Tina Kordrostami, an Iranian-Australian human rights activist and Greens political candidate, was one of many neighborhood members who met with the particular rapporteur.
She mentioned the dearth of assist in her assembly with Mr Rehman.
“The Iranian-Australian neighborhood hasn’t obtained any psychological well being assist or monetary help from the Australian authorities. A majority of these assist can doubtlessly positively affect the motion’s general potential,” she informed SBS Persian.
“We’ve got made these requests of the federal government time and time once more, but we haven’t heard a lot. In response, now we have been informed that just a few sanctions have been positioned, though they aren’t utterly stable, as there are methods round them.”
The case of IRGC
Ms Kordrostami is amongst these demanding Australia record Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
“Particularly in mild of current occasions and the scenario between Palestine and Israel, we’re slowly beginning to see the true arms of the IRGC. These are all explanation why the Australian authorities must recognise the group as a terrorist entity.
In the future after the 7 October Hamas assault on Israel, Wall Road Journal claimed that the IRGC helped Hamas “plot assault on Israel over a number of weeks”.
This was denied by Iran’s overseas ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, who stated the accusations “are primarily based on political motives” and that the “Islamic Republic doesn’t intervene within the decision-making of different international locations, together with Palestine”.
In Australia, a Senate inquiry report revealed in February additionally really helpful the Labor authorities to blacklist the IRGC.
Nonetheless, in June, that they “have suggested by means of a submission to the Senate that, as an organ of a nation-state, it’s the division’s view that the IRGC will not be the form of entity that’s coated by the terrorist organisation provisions within the Felony Code Act 1995 (the Felony Code).”
International Minister Penny Wong informed SBS Information that she doesn’t imagine itemizing IRGC as a terrorist organisation “is probably the most strategic strategy”.
“The federal government will take an strategy to proceed to utilise our sanctions framework and multilateral boards to make sure that stress is placed on Iran,” she stated.
Since September 2022, the federal government has sanctioned 37 IRGC-linked officers and 44 IRGC-linked entities.
Mr Rehman stated that, on this regard, “an necessary resolution needs to be made”.
“IRGC is accountable for critical violations of human rights. If these organisations are concerned in terrorist actions, then for the sake of readability and transparency, these organisations have to be declared.”
“If particular person governments are satisfied by my, UN’s, and worldwide organisations’ studies, they need to act,” he stated.
‘In Australia, I really feel a specific risk’
After his conferences with neighborhood members, Mr Rehman stated he believes there are extra threats towards Iranians on Australian soil in comparison with different missions he has carried out.
In February, House Affairs Minister Claire O’Neil revealed ASIO had disrupted an Iranian authorities operation on Australian soil concentrating on an Australian-Iranian critic of the regime.
It was additionally that the variety of Iranian nationals holding diplomatic visas in Australia elevated from 31 to 34 across the time safety businesses reported the plot concentrating on Iranian-Australian residents onshore.
“There’s a constant risk posed by the Iranian regime or the brokers of the Iranian regime. In Australia, I really feel a specific risk,” Mr Rehman stated.
Many people have come as much as me and stated that a number of individuals have threatened them straight or not directly. They could possibly be members of the regime or their sympathisers. There’s a better preponderance of threats, which individuals have reported to me throughout my go to right here.
Javaid Rehman
Ms Kordrostami additionally reported these threats in her assembly with the particular rapporteur.
“At first, it was on-line threats by means of our social media accounts. Our laptops and our telephones have been hacked on a number of events. After some time, this become in-person threats,” she stated.
“I used to be adopted and threatened, and due to all this, I’ve needed to be in contact with Australian Nationwide Safety.”