Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran is a United Nations Special Rapporteur whose mandate is to monitor and investigate human rights violations in Iran. The current Special Rapporteur is Asma Jilani Jahangir, a human rights lawyer of Pakistani origin and a former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. She has held the position since 2016.[1] She is the fifth special rapporteur to Iran, following the tenures of Andrés Aguilar (1984-1986), Reynaldo Galindo Pohl (1986-1995), Maurice Copithorne (1995-2002)[2][3] and Ahmed Shaheed (2011-2016).[4]

Tenures

Andrés Aguilar (1984-1986)

In 1984, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) appointed Andrés Aguilar of Venezuela as its Special Representative to Iran on human rights. Iran refused to engage with him and he "eventually resigned, unable to persuade Iranian officials to cooperate with him in any way."[3][5]

Reynaldo Galindo Pohl (1986-1995)

Galindo Pohl, a prominent diplomat and professor of law from El Salvador,[6] served as the Special Representative from 1986 to 1995.[3] He visited Iran three times between 1990 and 1992, but after his third visit, he was barred from visiting Iran.[7]

Maurice Copithorne (1995-2002)

Following the resignation of Galindo Pohl, the UNCHR appointed Maurice Copithorne,[8] a Canadian lawyer,[9] as the Special Rapporteur. On 22 April 2002, the UNCHR voted not to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, a decision condemned by Human Rights Watch (HRW)[10] and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).[11]

Ahmed Shaheed (2011-2016)

Ahmed Shaheed was the Special Rapporteur from 2011 to 2016.[12] He went on to become the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.[13] He was twice Foreign Minister of the Maldives from 2005 to 2007 and 2008 to 2010.[14]

Asma Jahangir (2016- )

Asma Jilani Jahangir is the current Special Rapporteur.

List

# Rapporteur Nationality Years
1 Andrés Aguilar  Venezuela 1984–1986
2 Reynaldo Galindo Pohl  El Salvador 1986–1995
3 Maurice Copithorne  Canada 1995–2002
N/A 2002–2011
4 Ahmed Shaheed  Maldives 2011–2016
5 Asma Jahangir  Pakistan 2016–

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Appointment of Asma Jahangir | U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran". U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran. 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  2. ↑ "New U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur for Iran". The Iran Primer. United States Institute of Peace. 20 June 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Afshari, Reza (2011). Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. xvii–xviii.
  4. ↑ "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
  5. ↑ "Iran Agrees to UN Visit". IranWire. 14 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "UN investigator who revealed Iran's 'Baha'i Question' memorandum dies aged 93". Baha'i World News Service. 10 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "A History of United Nations Special Representatives and Rapporteurs in Iran". Iran Human Rights Documentation Center.
  8. ↑ "Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran" (PDF). United Nations. 20 October 1995.
  9. ↑ "UN criticises Iran's human rights". BBC. 18 October 2000.
  10. ↑ "Iran: U.N. Fails to Condemn Rights Abuses". HRW. 22 April 2002.
  11. ↑ "Commission Deplores Unwarranted Rejection of UNCHR Resolution on Iran". USCIRF. 24 April 2002.
  12. ↑ "Human rights in Iran are still atrocious: While Iran reopens to the West, repression still prevails at home". The Economist. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "IHEU | UN appoints new Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief". iheu.org. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  14. ↑ "Special Rapporteur on Iran". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
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