The intervention was delivered during the General Debate under Item 9, which focuses on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and the eradication of intolerance. Humanists International strongly condemned the Iranian theocratic regime’s ongoing persecution of religious and belief minorities, explicitly noting the targeting of humanists. The statement highlighted the state’s violent suppression of its citizens, spanning from the historic “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement to the renewed protests in early 2026. The organization denounced the Iranian judiciary for accelerating trials, weaponizing the death penalty against protesters under the charge of moharebeh (“enmity against God”), and forcing grieving families to pay for the return of their executed loved ones’ bodies.
Turning to the broader crisis, the statement expressed grave concern over escalating hostilities involving numerous parties, including the United States and Israel. Humanists International stressed that all actors must strictly adhere to international humanitarian law and prioritize the protection of civilian lives, particularly condemning recent attacks on schools. The organization emphasized to the Council that condemning the Iranian regime’s domestic tyranny and opposing external military escalation are not mutually exclusive positions; rather, both are rooted in a profound, unified concern for the safety and fundamental rights of the Iranian people.
This intervention comes against the backdrop of a fast-moving and highly volatile geopolitical crisis in the Middle East. With direct military engagements and retaliatory strikes escalating between Iran, Israel, and allied forces, the international community faces the dual challenge of preventing a wider regional war while ensuring Iran’s internal human rights atrocities do not slip from global scrutiny. This rapidly deteriorating security situation has cast a long shadow over the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, prompting urgent debates and emergency discussions among member states grappling with how to enforce international humanitarian law and protect civilian populations amidst compounding crises.
The latest address builds upon Humanists International’s sustained and urgent advocacy regarding Iran, and specifically on a statement published in early 2026. The organization has consistently campaigned against the Islamic Republic’s systemic, gender apartheid and theocratic overreach, previously delivering wide-ranging condemnations of the regime’s weaponization of blasphemy and apostasy charges to silence dissidents. Furthermore, during the height of the state’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators earlier this year, Humanists International joined global civil society in calling for a Special Session of the Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the independent fact-finding mission to investigate the regime’s crimes.
Featured Photo by aboodi vesakaran on Pexels.