Iran news in brief, March 12, 2019

Iran news in brief, March 12, 2019

UN Expert Slams Iran's Rights Record in 1st Report to Geneva Council

Iran’s human rights record came under sharp criticism at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday, with a U.N. expert singling out Iran’s crackdown on dissent and practice of sentencing children to death.

Presenting his first report to the Geneva-based council since taking office in July, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, cited what he called Tehran’s “worrying patterns of intimidation, arrest, prosecution, and ill-treatment” of human rights defenders, lawyers, and labor rights activists who have taken part in recent protests and strikes across the country.

He called on Iran to release all those detained for exercising rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

Hook Says Rouhani Trip to Iraq 'Is Not in the Interest of Iraqi People'

U.S. Special Representative Brian Hook questioned President Hassan Rouhani’s “motives” regarding Iraq, while the Iranian leader was visiting the neighboring country.

In an interview with Alhurrha TV, Hook on March 11 said that when the Rouhani’s government does “prioritize his own people so why on earth he would prioritize the welfare of the Iraqi people”.

Questioning Rouhani’s motives, Hook said that Iran wants to secure a “military highway” through Iraq to the Western parts of the Middle East “that the Revolutionary Guard Corps can use to ferry missiles, weapons and fighters across the Middle East”.

Hook also underlined the importance of Iraqi independence from Iran and said that the United States is helping Baghdad to become independent in its electricity needs.

Responding to a question about the near future of the Iranian regime, Hook said, “They can either start behaving like a normal nation or they can watch their economy crumble. The United States government is committed to driving up the cost of Iran’s historic malign behavior across the Middle East”.

Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Sentenced to 38 Years in Jail

Imprisoned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.

During a brief telephone conversation with her husband, Nasrin Sotoudeh insisted that her sentence is 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.

Her statement follows the judge overseeing her case reporting to the media that Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Sotoudeh’s husband, Reza Khandan, wrote on Facebook on March 11, 2019, that the imprisoned human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh has been sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes (five years for one case and 33 years for a second case involving a combined total of nine charges).

Amnesty International called the “sentencing of prominent Iranian human rights lawyer and women’s rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh to 33 years in prison and 148 lashes in a new case against her is an outrageous injustice.”

US Citizen Michael White Reportedly Sentenced in Iranian Court

A U.S. citizen held in Iran has been sentenced for an unspecified crime, Iranian news agencies reported Monday, in a case likely to worsen already terrible relations with the United States.

Michael White, a 46-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, was arrested last July while visiting his Iranian girlfriend, the New York Times has reported.

On Monday, the prosecutor in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Gholamali Sadeqi, said White had been sentenced, the Fars news agency reported.

He said White had been accused of a security-related charge but did not specify if that was the charge for which he was convicted.

Iranian officials have never said why he was being held.