It was with much alarm that we learned that the US President ordered a military strike against Iran last week. Minutes before the launch, when military planes had been deployed and navy ships were in position, the strike was suspended when the President abruptly ordered US forces to stand down.

This close encounter was the latest in a series of dangerous brushes with military conflict within the increasingly unstable US-Iran relations.

We have joined other allies, over 100 human rights defenders and activists inside and outside Iran to make our voices heard: War against Iran will have devastating human rights consequences for the people of Iran and we oppose it.

In a joint statement signed by some of Iran’s bravest activists and organized by United for Iran and the Center for Human Rights in Iran, we have detailed some of the likely consequences of war and how it would undermine decades of efforts to improve the quality of life, human rights, and civil liberties in Iran.

Most of the activists who have signed the letter live inside and outside Iran and have spent decades opposing the Iranian government’s oppressive and corrupt policies. Many have paid a high price for their action, including imprisonment and exile, in standing up against the Iranian government. They include student activists like Zia Nabavi, journalist Issa Saharkhiz, and women’s rights lawyer Mehrangiz Kar, as well representatives of some of the leading international human rights organizations like Guissou Jahangiri, Executive Director of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), and Thomas Hughes, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

While the US-Iran relationship has deteriorated since 2015 after the US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, I believe the way out is diplomacy and respect for international law and human rights.

In Solidarity,

Firuzeh Mahmoudi
Executive Director, United for Iran

Joint Statement:

We, the undersigned Iranian and international human rights organizations and advocates, express grave concerns over the rising tension 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 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,

(Signatories here)