Iran Focus: London, Mar. 12 – The U.S. State Department on Tuesday accused Iranian authorities of stepping up repression throughout the country in 2007. Iran Focus
London, Mar. 12 – The U.S. State Department on Tuesday accused Iranian authorities of stepping up repression throughout the country in 2007.
“The government’s poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses”, the State Department said in its annual 2007 “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices”.
“The government severely limited citizens’ right to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections. There were reports of unjust executions after unfair trials. Security forces committed acts of politically motivated abductions; torture and severe officially-sanctioned punishments, including death by stoning; amputation; flogging; and excessive use of force against and imprisonment of demonstrators”, it said. “Vigilante groups with ties to the government committed acts of violence”.
“Prison conditions remained poor. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and detained individuals and held political prisoners and women’s rights activists. There was a lack of judicial independence and of fair public trials.
“The government severely restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, movement, and privacy. The government placed severe restrictions on freedom of religion. Official corruption and a lack of government transparency persisted.
“Violence and legal and societal discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and homosexuals; trafficking in persons; and incitement to anti-Semitism remained problems. The government severely restricted workers’ rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively, and child labor remained a serious problem”, the report said.
The report listed Iran among the top ten states violating human rights.
