The Iranian Opposition Coalition Council Letter to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR)

The Iranian Opposition Coalition Council, a coalition of Iranian opposition groups has published an open letter of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. They represent the largest single coalition of opposition groups opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

They are calling for the UN to expel the Islamic Republic of Iran from the UN for its many violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A chilling read. Read the letter here.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: + 41 22 917 9022
E-mail: tb-petitions@ohchr.org

Dear Sir/Madam:

The Iranian Opposition Coalition Council* (IOCC) is composed of a large number of groups opposing the Islamic Republic in Iran (IRI.) The IOCC is demanding that the membership of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in the United Nations be terminated.

Over the last 26 years, the people of Iran and the world have been suffering from the ever increasing activities of IRI in support of terrorism and human rights violations.
IRI has been the cradle of support, sponsorship and the expansion of the religious terrorism that has been threatening world security. IRI is thriving on international terrorist activities and has been blackmailing the world by developing nuclear weapons.

Some of the European countries which have been assisting IRI to expand its nuclear power capabilities for the purpose of the power generation are slowly realizing that the final objective of IRI is nothing but to obtain nuclear weapons. The international community will have to face this eminent danger and take steps to alleviate this worldwide threat.

The United Nations is an organization which defends and protects the rights of the nations using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a metric by which it evaluates human rights in the world. We find it surprising that the United Nations allows the membership and participation of IRI, which violates the most basic rights of Iranian citizens and justifies their criminal actions in its constitution.

The purpose for submission of this petition is to reveal the contradictions of IRI’s constitution and civil laws with those of United Nations Universal Declarations of Human Rights. IRI’s enormous crimes against humanity are repulsive reflection on humanity that must be erased.

The Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Whereas, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world;

Whereas, disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people;

Whereas, it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law;

Whereas, it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations;

Whereas, the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom;

Whereas, Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Whereas, a common understanding of these rights and freedoms, is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge.

In reality the following are practiced in the Islamic Republic of Iran:

In the 2nd article of IRI constitution it is stated that the foundation of governing, and legislation only comes from God. Devine revelations are through the Supreme Leader, the “Imam” or (Velayate Faghih).

Article 207 of IRI’s penal code states that if a non-Muslim kills a Muslim then the killer is liable to legal retribution, qisas, and subject to the death penalty. In contrast, a Muslim can kill a non-Muslim and only pay blood money (Diyeh).

Article 209 states that if a man deliberately murders a Muslim woman, then before he is to receive Gesas (death penalty), the family of the woman have to pay the murderer’s family half of his blood money. The succeeding article extends the same double standard to a non-Muslim man murdering non-Muslim women, whether or not they share the same religion. Thus a woman’s life is valued as half that of a man and the punishment of a man murdering a woman is not the same as a woman’s unless the family of the murdered woman pays the murderer half his blood-money.

According to IRI law if a person changes religion from Islam to any other religion, he/she will be labelled an “apostate” (Mortad) and therefore it is merited to be killed.
The above mentioned Islamic Republic laws are in conflict with the Article 18 of Universal declaration of human rights that states everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Another example is the article of 26 of UDHR that states everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. However in the Islamic Republic of Iran, these opportunities are only available to the Shiite Muslims who can prove their loyalty to the supreme leader.

The article 4 of UDHR states that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms, however in the Islamic Republic of Iran the father or the grandfather of a female can force her to marry anyone who he deems fit and collect her dowry at any age. He can even deny her permission to travel and even prevent her from leaving the house. One can only conclude the lawfulness of slavery in the IRI regime.

The respect for the inherent right to life of a person under 18 is not guaranteed under the IRI law, particularly in light of article 220 of IRI’s Penal Code, which provides that a man who kills his own child or his son's child is not subject to discretionary punishment (qesas).

The Islamic Republic article 222 states that anyone who kills an insane individual is not subject to prosecutions.

The fifth article of UDHR states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Whereas, Article 201 of IRI criminal law states that a thief shall be subject to amputation of four fingers of right hand for first offence, the left foot for the second offence, prison for third and execution for the fourth.

Chapter 6 of the IRI criminal code states that everyone drinking a glass of alcoholic beverage shall receive 74 lashes.

The penalty for adultery under Article 83 of the penal code, called the Law of Hodoud is flogging (100 lashes of the whip) for unmarried male and female offenders. Married offenders may be punished by stoning regardless of their gender, but the method laid down for a man involves his burial up to his waist, and for a woman up to her chest (Article 102).

The women without the proper Islamic republic dress code will be punished by 74 lashes.

Article 186 of IRI penal code states that any person who is involved with or supports an armed opposition against the Islamic government and the divine rule is subject to capital punishment even though the culprit may not be a direct participant in the armed insurgency.

Article 111 of IRI penal code states that act of homosexuality is punishable by death.
Article 237 of IRI’s penal code states that a first degree murder can only be proved based on the testimony of two male witnesses.

Article 11 of the IRI constitution states that the Iranian armed forces’ duties are to engage in Jihad (holy war) for god and to promote the divine rule throughout the world. Based on this article of the IRI constitution, support of terrorist groups by the Islamic Republic is legal. It is in this framework that IRI sponsors organizations such as Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the Al-Queda. It is perfectly legal to wage war and defeat the infidel America in Afghanistan and Iraq. This law permits support of terror groups to force out Israel from Palestine.

In conclusion, based on IRI laws, the arguments presented here and many more that can be presented upon request, the IOCC hereby urges that the United Nations expel IRI from the U.N. and all its affiliate organizations.

This statement was presented in and approved by the International Conference of the Iranian Opposition Coalition Council on March 13, 2005 in Los Angeles, California.

On behalf of IOCC,
Respectfully yours,

________________________________________________
Dr. Iman Foroutan
Executive Director, Iran of Tomorrow Movement (SOS IRAN)
iman@sosiran.com

Tel: (818) 986-0200
Fax: (818) 474-7229

The Iranian Opposition Coalition Council* (IOCC) (in alphabetical order)

1. ActivistChat.com
2. Alliance For Democracy
3. Democratic Institutes of Europe (Paris Coalition)
4. High Council of the Ashayer Bakhtiari Tribe (SOS IRAN)
5. Iran of Tomorrow Movement (SOS IRAN)
6. Iranian Freedom Front
7. Iranian National Congress
8. Iranian Solidarity Movement for Freedom and Democracy (SOS IRAN)
9. Iranian Think Tank
10. Kian-e-Iran (SOS IRAN)
11. Kian-e-Mihan (SOS IRAN)
12. Labor Union of the Iranian National Oil Company (Paris Coalition)
13. Marz-e-PorGohar Party
14. Movement for support of Human Rights in Europe (Paris Coalition)
15. National Front
16. Organization of the Iranian Women (Paris Coalition)
17. Pan Iranist Party (SOS IRAN)
18. Peyvand Organization
19. Sarbaaz Organization
20. Social Democratic Party (SOS IRAN)
21. Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran
22. Union of the Iranian Tribes and Ashayer (Paris Coalition)