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	States should end reprisals against anti-corruption human rights defenders by OHCHR, Transparecy International, agencies   The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, has urged States to find the political will to protect human rights defenders exposing corruption.   “Corruption is fundamentally a human rights issue, and human rights defenders working to prevent it are targeted, even killed, all over the world for their peaceful advocacy,” the UN expert said in a report presented to the Human Rights Council. The report includes details of attacks on journalists, academics, lawyers, medical workers and others for exposing corruption, sometimes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.   “Corruption is often written off as inevitable or harmless, or as a victimless crime. But it’s none of those things. Every time someone takes a bribe, gives a job to an unqualified relative, or diverts money intended for a hospital or a school to their own pocket, it’s an attack on human rights,” she said.   “They’re often attacked because of their success - governments and businesses are afraid of them and what they might reveal,” Lawlor said.   The report includes practical recommendations for States, based on consultations with human rights defenders, NGOs, academic experts and government officials, on how to better support the work of defenders working against corruption.   It also recommends that States should not only end attacks on defenders but publicly applauds the vital contribution they make to fight corruption and to help build just societies based on the rule of law.   “States have obligations to protect defenders working against corruption. This is vital human rights work. Those doing it should be supported by States, not vilified and attacked,” she said.   http://srdefenders.org/at-the-heart-of-the-struggle-human-rights-defenders-fight-corruption/   Dec. 2022   States should end reprisals against anti-corruption human rights defenders   As the world celebrates the International Anti-Corruption Day and the 24th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, we, the undersigned organizations and individuals, urge all UN member states to end reprisals against anti-corruption human rights defenders, and to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of everyone – including those working to promote and defend the rights of other people and to fight and expose corruption.   Anti-corruption human rights defenders – journalists, members of civil society organizations, whistleblowers and others – play a crucial role in the prevention of and in the fight against corruption and the promotion of human rights.   Over the years, they have been instrumental in investigating and exposing corrupt practices and in demanding transparency and accountability and the protection of human rights.   We observe, however, that those who work to expose corruption are often not recognised as human rights defenders, and their efforts may be invisible to the wider human rights community or seen as separate from or peripheral to human rights work.   We note that the role and active involvement of anti-corruption human rights defenders in anti-corruption efforts has been widely recognized in many international and regional anti-corruption instruments, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) adopted in 2003.   Among other things, UNCAC requires states parties to promote the active participation of anti-corruption defenders, by “respecting, promoting and protecting the freedom to seek, receive, publish and disseminate information concerning corruption” (Article 13).   In addition, the political declaration on corruption adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2021 reaffirmed the commitment of the international community to recognize the important role that civil society, academia, the private sector and the media play in the detection, prevention and fight against corruption.   We are seriously concerned about the escalating reports of violence, threats, harassment, intimidation, attacks and persecution of anti-corruption human rights defenders and the impunity following on from this persecution in several states.   Anti-corruption human rights defenders continue to face real risk of physical attack, arbitrary arrest and prosecution simply for exercising their human rights including to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.   And states continue to pass laws to restrict access to information while failing to take effective actions to prevent the harassment, intimidation and attacks against those who dare to expose corruption and its impacts on human rights, and to bring suspected perpetrators of the attacks to justice.   We note that the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in her recent report documents several cases of violence, threats, intimidation, harassment, attacks and persecution against anti-corruption human rights defenders.   According to the report, hundreds of defenders all over the world face smear campaigns, criminalization and judicial harassment, and are killed every year for their peaceful work in defence of the rights of others. Very few perpetrators are brought to account for these murders, which only enables the cycle of killings to continue.   We also note that some attacks on defenders are gender-based and that many defenders have been targeted for their work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or for fighting against corruption affecting their local communities. Women human rights defenders working against corruption are also often attacked not only for what they do but for who they are.   Continuous threats and attacks against anti-corruption human rights defenders   We continue to receive reports of increasing threats and attacks against anti-corruption human rights defenders, including whistleblowers. These constitute clear violations of internationally recognized human rights including to life, freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, access to information and media freedom.   The threats, intimidation, harassment and persecution also amount to a breach of the legal obligations of states under the various human rights treaties to which they are states parties, And we believe it is imperative to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of anti-corruption defenders to ensure the effective promotion and protection of the rights of other people, and to improve the implementation of states’ legal obligations under the various human rights and anti-corruption treaties to which they are parties.   We therefore call on all UN member states to:   Foster a safe and enabling environment, to ensure that anti-corruption defenders are able to freely carry out their activities in full respect of their human rights and in the defence of the human rights of other people and the fight against corruption without fear of reprisals;   Adopt and implement legislative and other measures for the protection of anti-corruption human defenders, if they do not exist, in line with human rights and anti-corruption standards;   Effectively respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of everyone to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, including of those working to promote and defend the rights of other people and to fight and expose corruption, in accordance with Article 13 of UNCAC;   End impunity by thoroughly, impartially, independently, transparently and effectively investigating reports of attacks against defenders in their states, and bringing to justice suspected perpetrators, and ensuring access to justice and effective remedies for victims;   Publicly recognize the value of the work of anti-corruption human rights defenders and denounce threats and attacks against them, consistent with the provisions of UNCAC, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.   http://www.transparency.org/en/press/states-should-end-reprisals-against-anti-corruption-human-rights-defenders
	Iran: Stop sentencing peaceful protesters to death, UN experts urge by United Nations news   Nov. 2022   Sixteen UN-appointed independent human rights experts encouraged Iranian authorities on Friday to stop indicting people with charges punishable by death for participating in peaceful demonstrations.   “We urge Iranian authorities to stop using the death penalty as a tool to squash protests and reiterate our call to immediately release all protesters who have been arbitrarily deprived of their liberty for the sole reason of exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of opinion and expression, association and peaceful assembly and for their actions to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means”, they said in a statement.   In Tehran province, eight people were charged by the Islamic Revolution Court on 29 October with crimes carrying the death penalty, namely “waging war against God” or “moharebeh” and “corruption on earth”.   Two days later, the Tehran prosecutor announced that some 1,000 indictments had been issued in connection with recent “riots” in the province and that public trials were scheduled for a number of people “in the coming days”.   In blatant violation of the separation of powers, on 6 November, 227 members of Parliament called on the judiciary to act decisively against those arrested during the protests and to carry out the death penalty punishments.   “With the continuous repression of protests, many more indictments on charges carrying the death penalty and death sentences might soon be issued, and we fear that women and girls, who have been at the forefront of protests, and especially women human rights defenders, who have been arrested and jailed for demanding the end of systemic and systematic discriminatory laws, policies and practices might be particularly targeted”, they warned.   Rising suppression   On 13 September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, was arrested by Iran’s morality policeOpens in new window for allegedly failing to comply with the State’s strict rules on women’s dress, by wearing what authorities said was “an improper hijab”. She died in police custody.   Since 16 September thousands of peaceful protesters have been arrested, including many women, children, youth and at least 51 journalists. Fourteen were reportedly released on bail, while 37 remain held – many in incommunicado detention.   “The crackdown on peaceful demonstrations has continued unabated, and the death toll has risen to at least 304 people, including 24 women and 41 children. Baluchi and Kurdish minorities have continued to be disproportionately affected by the repression”, said the experts.   Through grossly unfair summary trials, the Islamic Revolutionary courts have been used for years to sentence political activists, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders, according to the exper   The country’s criminal justice system relies heavily on confessions extracted through torture and other forms of coercion and duress to prove guilt.   Since nationwide protests in November 2019, the death penalty has been used widely under unsubstantiated murder or vague national security charges against individuals for participating in demonstrations.   In 2020, at least two individuals were executed following their participation in protests.   “We reiterate our call on the Human Rights CouncilOpens in new window to urgently take the necessary actions to hold a Special Session on the situation in Iran and to establish an international investigative mechanism, to ensure accountability in Iran and to end the persistent impunity for grave human rights violations”, they stated.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/08/minorities-iran-have-been-disproportionally-impacted-ongoing-crackdown http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/04/repressive-enforcement-iranian-hijab-laws-symbolises-gender-based http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/iran-critical-situation http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/iran-stop-sentencing-peaceful-protesters-death-say-un-experts http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2022/11/iran-call-immediate-release-peaceful-protesters http://www.hrw.org/news/2022/12/13/iran-death-sentences-against-protesters http://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/13/iran-jails-400-for-up-to-10-years-over-widespread-uprisings Visit the related web page
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