Iran: Spying charges against wildlife activists “hard to fathom”, say UN experts
GENEVA
(23 February 2018) – Iran must cease what appears to be a new and
worrying trend of targeting environmental defenders, UN human rights
experts* said following
the detention of Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF) members on
spying charges. One has died in custody.
“We
are concerned that Iranian authorities now seem to be arresting and
investigating peaceful scientific activists for their invaluable
conservationist work. It
is hard to fathom how working to preserve the Iranian flora and fauna
can possibly be linked to conducting espionage against Iranian
interests,” said the experts, calling for their immedate release and for
the charges to be dropped.
One
of those arrested, Kavous Seyed Emami, the founder and director of the
PWHF, died in custody after his arrest on 24 January. Authorities
informed his family on 10 February
that he had committed suicide while in the high-security Evin prison.
“Mr
Emami’s death is extremely disturbing. Not only was he arrested on
flimsy charges, but his death in custody strongly suggests foul play.
The Iranian authorities must urgently
allow a prompt, impartial and effective investigation into the
circumstances and causes of Mr. Emami’s death,” the experts said.
Seven other environmentalists from the group have also been arrested on espionage charges.
“The
detention and punishment of environmentalists for their work to
conserve and protect the natural environment cannot be justified,” the
experts said. “Nowhere in the world,
including Iran, should conservation be equated to spying or regarded as
a crime. Detention of human rights defenders for their work is
arbitrary in nature.”
They
also pointed to reported concerns about due process during the arrest
and detention of the environmental human rights defenders. It was still
not clear if the
detained activists have been afforded effective and unhindered access
to legal counsel and have been granted other due process rights.
The experts have been in contact with the Government of Iran about the situation.
ENDS
(*) Mr. John H. Knox,
Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations
relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
Mr. David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
Mr. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights defenders, Mr.
José Antonio Guevara
Bermúdez, Chair-Rapporteur of the
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Special Procedures,
the largest body of independent experts
in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s
independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures
mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the
Human Rights Council to address either specific
country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They
are not UN staff and are independent from any government or
organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive
a salary for their work.
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This year, 2018, is the 70th anniversary of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration –
translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the
principle that
“all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It
remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded,
we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human
Rights:
www.standup4humanrights.org.
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