On March 13, 2025, during the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, leading international experts, human rights activists, and family members of victims gathered to highlight the worsening human rights situation in Iran. The conference, co-sponsored and actively supported by Verein Welle, focused particularly on the alarming rise in executions and systematic violence against civilians.
Holding a conference within the framework of the UN Human Rights Council carries tremendous significance. It provides a unique platform for global attention and political pressure. The international spotlight forces governments to take a stand and opens the door to potential political and economic consequences for regimes that systematically violate human rights.
1.The 1988 Massacre: A Monument to Impunity
Kirsty Brimelow, former Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Bar of England and Wales, focused her remarks on the 1988 massacre in Iran. She described it as a systematic and large-scale assault on civilians, in which at least 30,000 political prisoners were executed on orders from the regime. Brimelow emphasized that these extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances clearly violate international human rights treaties that Iran itself has signed.
2. Impunity Encourages Further Crimes
Claude Nicati, former Deputy Attorney General of Switzerland, pointed out that the regime’s continued impunity for past crimes has emboldened it to maintain its brutal execution policies. Without firm and immediate international intervention, he warned, the wave of executions will only intensify.
3. Women Targeted by the Regime
Sahar, a representative of an Iranian women’s organization, highlighted the disturbing fact that Iran holds the global record for executing women. She described how the regime uses systematic violence and executions to intimidate and silence women and to crush their resistance.
4. Personal Tragedies Underscore the Need for International Pressure
Behrouz, who lost three of his uncles to executions in the 1980s, shared his deeply personal story. He illustrated how the regime’s crimes have devastated generations of families. He stressed the importance and impact of international human rights initiatives, particularly the growing “No to the Death Penalty” campaign, which continues to expand despite severe repression in Iranian prisons—giving people hope and courage
5. A Call for Global Responsibility
The Geneva conference has once again demonstrated how essential it is to actively use international forums and legal mechanisms. Only through collective and sustained pressure from the global community can further executions be prevented and meaningful, long-term improvements in Iran’s human rights situation be achieved. Verein Welle will continue to support these vital initiatives and stand firmly for the rights and dignity of the people of Iran.
Behzad, a former political prisoner and human rights expert, explained how the regime continues to use executions as a tool to suppress any form of public resistance. He called on the international community to renew the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and to expand investigations into human rights violations. This is essential to maintain international pressure and ensure continued visibility of the regime’s abuses.
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