Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion today joined the United Nations in calling on Iran to improve its human rights record in a resolution passed by the General Assembly. The UN resolution expressed “serious concern” at Iran’s high and increasing use of the death penalty without respect for any international safeguards, which resulted in the execution of 694 prisoners between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15 of this year. In addition, the resolution called on Tehran to ensure that prisoners received a fair trial with proper legal counsel and were not subjected to torture or other forms of harsh punishments such as sexual violence. “The text of the resolution reflects both the areas where human rights violations continue and those areas where Iran is taking steps to improve the human rights situation,” said Dion.

According to the United States Institute of Peace, Iranian authorities executed 753 people in 2014, noting that executions carried out by the Islamic Republic “have been rising at an exponential rate since 2005.” Under Iranian law, a wide range of offences carry the death penalty, including murder, drug trafficking, political crimes, espionage, blasphemy or apostasy, adultery, and homosexual acts. In some cases such as murder, prisoners’ lives can be saved if victims’ families express forgiveness. The most common method of execution in Iran is hanging, which is often carried out in public at the scene of a prisoner’s supposed crime. Other methods of execution include stoning to death and shooting. The latter is no longer commonly employed, but in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, thousands of prisoners were shot dead by revolutionary firing squads. There have also been a few cases of prisoners being thrown from cliffs in years past. “Canada and the international community remain deeply concerned about Iran’s human rights record. We call on the government of Iran to implement its human rights obligations to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all people in Iran,” said Dion. In addition to executions, the UN resolution condemned the Islamic Republic’s ongoing persecution of ethnic and religious minorities. It also noted that Tehran continues to restrict freedoms of expression, assembly and association by harassing, prosecuting, and detaining anyone deemed to be an opponent of the Islamic regime.

However, the UN resolution does also acknowledge the steps Iran has taken to lessen human rights violations in specific areas, such as increasing access to minority-language education and strengthening services for victims of domestic violence. It also welcomed the pledges of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for allowing greater freedom of expression in future. “We hope Iran takes meaningful steps to carefully increase compliance with its domestic and international human rights obligations,” Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Rachna Mishra told National Observer. A new era? Canada’s support for the UN human rights resolution comes at a time when Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government is seeking to strengthen Canada-Iran relations, in accordance with the party’s federal election promises. The Canada-Iran rapprochement coincides with Tehran’s agreement to wind down its controversial nuclear program and open up facilities to international inspections, in exchange for economic sanctions relief from the United States and its allies. Western nations feared that Iran’s stated intention to develop nuclear energy was really a cover for pursuing the development of nuclear weapons. Ottawa’s re-engagement with Tehran also comes at a time when Iran is actively involved in battling the self-styled Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, effectively placing it on the same side as the United States, Canada, and other Western nations battling the terror group. “Canada will continue to speak out about issues of concern such as human rights violations or Tehran’s regional policies,” Mishra said. “Engagement does not mean that we agree with the Iranian regime but it is important to be able to engage with such countries to promote meaningful change.” Under Stephen Harper’s former Conservative government, Ottawa severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2012 and declared Iran to be a state sponsor of terrorism. This policy remained in place even as Iran negotiated with the Americans and Europeans to resolve its nuclear crisis. “Canada needs to engage on the international stage much more than before, even with regimes with which we have difficulties,” Mishra said.