The Human Rights Council on 15 March 2017 held a general debate on human rights bodies and mechanisms after hearing the presentation of the reports of the Forum on Minority Issues; Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law; Social Forum; and the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures.
Presenting the report of the Forum on Minority Issues, Rita Izsak-Ndiaye, Special Rapporteur on minority issues, reported that the Forum on Minority Issues had successfully conducted its ninth annual session in November 2016, with the thematic focus on minorities in situations of humanitarian crisis.
African Regional Agricultural Credit Association said that in Iran, there was no freedom of expression, women lived under personal laws, there was no press, and all those who dared to criticize the authorities were arrested. The situation in Baluchistan, where people suffered arbitrary detention and oppression by armed forces, required the Council’s attention. Pakistan had no respect for international law in dealing with Baluchi people who were simply demanding their right to independence.
World Environmental and Resource Council said the human rights situation in Iran was terrible due to terrorism and the people in Iran had faced suppression of civil society. Minorities in the country needed protection. The people of Pakistan needed protection as well, as rural areas lagged behind the cities. Baluchistan and Sindh suffered the worst conditions. The armed forces of Pakistan had been given decision-making powers in areas of national security, and they executed people on the mere basis of suspicion.
United Schools International said Iran violated the most basic civil and political rights of its people. Iran’s Sunnis were the largest minority in the country but they suffered from discrimination and were not hired for high-ranking positions. Other groups such as journalists, artists, musicians and human rights activists also witnessed arbitrary arrest, and other ethnic and religious groups comprised large parts of society yet were not accorded equal citizenship.
International Association for Democracy in Africa said human rights violations were carried out on a daily basis in countries such as Pakistan and Iran, where civilians remained victims of violence. Religious minorities were targeted by State and non-State actors, and laws in Pakistan caused cruelty to persist. Religious minorities were often put on trial for following their beliefs, and women faced special kinds of persecution.
