June 26, 2019 — In response to soaring tensions between Iran and the United States, 116 Iranian human rights defenders and groups based inside and outside the country have signed a statement warning of the “devastating” consequences of a military conflict.
The impact of military action on Iran would “lead to an accelerated human rights and humanitarian crisis and would only serve to destabilize an already troubled region,” said the statement co-organized by United for Iran and the Center for Human Rights in Iran.
The signatories–including activists, lawyers, journalists, and lawyers–have long advocated for the rights of the Iranian people. Those who are based in Iran have done so despite the grave risks of arrest and imprisonment for engaging in peaceful activism.
We, the undersigned Iranian and international human rights organizations and advocates, express grave concerns over the rising tensions between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which risks a military confrontation that would cause massive human rights harms. We urge all parties and international actors to take immediate and clear steps to prevent a conflict.
The impact of any military action in Iran, as we have seen in neighboring countries, would be devastating. It would likely lead to an accelerated human rights and humanitarian crisis and could only serve to destabilize an already troubled region. Only peace-focused policies that prioritize the rights and well-being of ordinary people in Iran and the region can provide meaningful, long-term benefits.
We have a deep understanding of the problems in Iran, including human rights challenges and corruption within some government sectors. We have dedicated our lives to strengthening the rights of women and girls, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, workers, journalists, university students, LGBTQ people, artists, and political prisoners in Iran. We have fought for the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial, socio-economic rights of the Iranian people, and an end to discrimination. We have consistently opposed Iranian authorities in their abuse of power and oppressive policies. It is from this perspective that we warn against the threat posed by military conflict.
We also fear that military action against Iran will be disastrous for millions of ordinary people and could lead to the type of violent sectarian civil conflict seen in neighboring countries. The instability of these conflicts and the extent to which they pit groups of people against each other has led to immeasurable human rights abuses.
Many Iran-based human rights defenders have expressed dismay that broad economic sanctions imposed by the US and the specter of war have already made their work more difficult. Many of them are struggling to make ends meet in a depressed economy, while their activities have become increasingly risky in a heightened security environment. The threat of war has strengthened support for the Iranian state’s security approaches and has been used as a pretext to crack down on activists. Minority communities, who have little space for civic activism, suffer the brunt of crackdowns at such times. Many Iranian human rights defenders fear that an actual military conflict would give the Iranian security forces an opportunity to finally put a complete stop to their advocacy efforts.
These concerns reflect some of the likely outcomes of any military confrontation in Iran, underscoring the need for peaceful and legal solutions to any tensions between states.
We urge all parties to show maximum restraint. We ask that the United Nations Secretary-General, the European Union, and the government of Japan, as well as countries in the region that have stepped in the past to foster peace, to intervene to prevent the outbreak of war and deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis.
Sincerely,
- Amin Ahmadian, Member of the Central Committee of Advar-e Takim-e Vahdat
- Niki Akhavan, Associate Professor at the Catholic University of America
- Leila Alikarami, Human Rights Lawyer and Women’s Rights Defender
- Mahsa Alimardani, Technology and Human Rights Researcher at ARTICLE 19
- Mehdi Aminzadeh, Political Activist
- Leila Asadi, Women’s Rights Defender and PhD Candidate in Justice Studies
- Zeinab Asgharpour, Political Activist and member of the Central Committee of Advar-e Takim-e Vahdat
- Kamran Ashtary, Executive Director at Arseh Sevom
- Kaveh Azarhoosh, Senior Researcher at Small Media
- Arash Azizi, Writer, Scholar, and PhD Candidate at New York University
- Emad Bahavar, Political Activist
- Maryam Bahrman, Women’s Rights Defender
- Narges Bajoghli, Scholar and Assistant Professor at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University
- Rudi Bakhtiar, Journalist
- Fereidoon Bashar, Executive Director at ASL19
- Masoud Bastani, Journalist
- Amir Bayani, Head of MENA Program at ARTICLE 19
- Farangis Bayat, Women’s Rights Defender and Researcher
- Hamed Behravan, President of Movements.org
- Farhad Davoodi, Translator and Writer
- Parastoo Dokouhaki, Women’s Rights Defender
- Majid Dori, Civic Activist
- Arefe Elyasi, Women’s Rights Defender
- Reza Fani Yazdi, Human Rights Activist
- Nima Fatemi, Researcher and Founding Director of Kandoo
- Roja Fazaeli, Professor at Trinity College, Dublin
- Alireza Firoozi, Former Student Activist
- Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran
- Saghi Ghahraman, Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO)
- Reza Ghazinouri, Human Rights Activist
- Mahdiye Golrou, Women’s Rights Activist
- Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Nonviolence Initiative for Democracy
- Aidin Hassanloo, Journalist
- Sourena Hashemi, Project Coordinator at Net Freedom Pioneers
- Mo Hosseini, MENA Program Officer at ARTICLE 19
- Sirous Hosseinifar, Artist
- Maryam Hosseinkhah, Journalist
- Mahboube Hosseinzadeh, Women’s Rights Defender
- Thomas Hughes, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19
- Mehri Jafari, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist
- Guissou Jahangiri, Women’s Rights Defender and Executive Director of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)
- Mahdieh Javid, Human Rights Attorney
- Sepideh Jodeyri, Poet and Women’s Rights Defender
- Hadi KahalZadeh, Researcher of Public Policy at Brandeis University
- Parvin Kahzadi, Journalist and Civic Activist
- Parisa Kakaee, Women’s and Children’s Rights Activist
- Mehrangiz Kar, Human Rights Lawyer and Women’s Rights Defender
- Mina Keshavarz, Film Director
- Nooshin Keshavarznia, Women’s Rights Activist
- Azam Khatam, Researcher and University Professor
- Mostafa Khosravi, Director of Communication at Arseh Sevom
- Nasim Khosravi Moghaddam, Writer and Theatre Director
- Masoud Ladoni, Meli-Mazhabi Activist
- Firuzeh Mahmoudi, Executive Director of United for Iran
- Mahtab Mahmoudi, Women’s Rights Defender
- Feri Malek-Madani, Women’s Rights Activist
- James Marchant, Research Manager at Small Media
- Sara Masoumi, Journalist
- Anna May, Director of Development and Operations at ASL19
- Maryam Mazrooei, War Photographer and Journalist
- Ahmad Medadi, Teacher Rights Activist
- Roozbeh MirEbrahimi, Journalist and Researcher
- Naheed Mirhaj, Women’s Rights Defender
- Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Researcher
- Manijeh Moazen, Journalist
- Azin Mohajerin, Civic Activist and Researcher
- Mehrnoosh Mohammadian, Activist
- Sohrab Mokhtari, Writer and Translator
- Zahra Moshtagh, Journalist
- Laleh Mostofi, Film Director
- Mani Mostofi, Senior Human Rights Advisor at United for Iran
- Sarvenaz Mostofi, Artist
- Negar Mottahdeh, Professor
- Alieh Mottalebzadeh, Women’s Rights Defender and Journalist
- Ali Akbar Mousavi, Former member of Iran’s Parliament and Internet Freedom Advocate
- Zia Nabavi, Student Activist
- Mojtaba Najafi, Researcher
- Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer
- Mohammad Oliyafard, Human Rights Lawyer
- Shahriar Paknia, Researcher and University Professor
- Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh, Gender Equality Activist
- Mohammad Pourabdollah, Political Activist
- Azadeh Pourzand, Executive Director of Siamak Pourzand Foundation
- Somaye Qodousi, Civic Researcher
- Hossein Raessi, Human Rights Lawyer and Professor at Law
- Keyvan Rafie, Director at Human Rights Activists in Iran
- Neelam Raina, Associate Professor at Middlesex University
- Niloofar Rajaeifar, Actress
- Somayeh Rashidi, Women’s Rights Defender
- Negar Razavi, Scholar and Visiting Assistant Professor in Anthropology at William and Mary
- Sabra Rezai, Women’s Rights Activist
- Afsaneh Rigot, MENA Officer at ARTICLE 19
- Simin Rouzgard, Human Rights Activist
- Touraj Saberivand, Social Activist
- Setareh Sabety, Journalist
- Aida Sadat, Human and Women’s Rights Activist
- Sima Saeedi, Former Journalist
- Isa Saharkhiz, Journalist
- Mousa Saket, Political and Civic Activist and member of Advar Tahkim Vahdat
- Afsaneh Salari, Filmmaker
- Faraz Sanei, Human Rights Lawyer
- Rod Sanjabi, Human Rights Lawyer
- Nasim Sarabandi, Women’s Rights Defender
- Daisy Schmitt, Women’s Rights Programme Officer at the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)
- Kevin Schumacher, Human Rights Defender
- Mahdis Sdeghipouya, Women’s Rights Defender and Gender Researcher
- Afshin Shahi, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bradford
- Sima Shakhsari, Professor at the University of Minnesota
- Mansoureh Shoajee, Researcher and Women’s Rights Activist
- Jinous Sobhani, Human Rights, Women’s Rights, and Children’s Rights Activist
- Maedeh Soltani, Human Rights Defender
- Amir Soltani, Author, Zahra’s Paradise
- Bita Tahbaz, Women’s Rights Activist
- Sussan Tahmasebi, Women’s Rights Defender and Executive Director of FEMENA
- Maziar Tataei, Attorney at Law
- Nayereh Tohidi, Professor and Director of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at California State University, Northridge
- Soheila Vahdati, Independent Scholar
- Adrienne van Heteren, Director at Small Media
- Kyra Wigard, Legal Fellow at Armanshahr and OPENASIA
- Mitra Zargar, Sociologist and Human Rights Advocate
- Parvin Zarrabi, Women’s Rights, Peace, and Environmental Activist
