116 Iranian Rights Defenders Warn of “Devastating” Consequences of US-Iran Military Conflict

June 26, 2019 — In response to soaring tensions between Iran and the United States, 116 Iranian human rights defenders and groups based inside and outside the country have signed a statement warning of the “devastating” consequences of a military conflict.

The impact of military action on Iran would “lead to an accelerated human rights and humanitarian crisis and would only serve to destabilize an already troubled region,” said the statement co-organized by United for Iran and the Center for Human Rights in Iran.

The signatories–including activists, lawyers, journalists, and lawyers–have long advocated for the rights of the Iranian people. Those who are based in Iran have done so despite the grave risks of arrest and imprisonment for engaging in peaceful activism.

Following is the letter, which is also available on our Persian-language website.

We, the undersigned Iranian and international human rights organizations and advocates, express grave concerns over the rising tensions between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which risks a military confrontation that would cause massive human rights harms. We urge all parties and international actors to take immediate and clear steps to prevent a conflict.

The impact of any military action in Iran, as we have seen in neighboring countries, would be devastating. It would likely lead to an accelerated human rights and humanitarian crisis and could only serve to destabilize an already troubled region. Only peace-focused policies that prioritize the rights and well-being of ordinary people in Iran and the region can provide meaningful, long-term benefits.

We have a deep understanding of the problems in Iran, including human rights challenges and corruption within some government sectors. We have dedicated our lives to strengthening the rights of women and girls, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, workers, journalists, university students, LGBTQ people, artists, and political prisoners in Iran. We have fought for the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial, socio-economic rights of the Iranian people, and an end to discrimination. We have consistently opposed Iranian authorities in their abuse of power and oppressive policies. It is from this perspective that we warn against the threat posed by military conflict.

We also fear that military action against Iran will be disastrous for millions of ordinary people and could lead to the type of violent sectarian civil conflict seen in neighboring countries. The instability of these conflicts and the extent to which they pit groups of people against each other has led to immeasurable human rights abuses.

Many Iran-based human rights defenders have expressed dismay that broad economic sanctions imposed by the US and the specter of war have already made their work more difficult. Many of them are struggling to make ends meet in a depressed economy, while their activities have become increasingly risky in a heightened security environment. The threat of war has strengthened support for the Iranian state’s security approaches and has been used as a pretext to crack down on activists. Minority communities, who have little space for civic activism, suffer the brunt of crackdowns at such times. Many Iranian human rights defenders fear that an actual military conflict would give the Iranian security forces an opportunity to finally put a complete stop to their advocacy efforts.

These concerns reflect some of the likely outcomes of any military confrontation in Iran, underscoring the need for peaceful and legal solutions to any tensions between states.

We urge all parties to show maximum restraint. We ask that the United Nations Secretary-General, the European Union, and the government of Japan, as well as countries in the region that have stepped in the past to foster peace, to intervene to prevent the outbreak of war and deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis.

Sincerely, 

1. Amin Ahmadian, Member of the Central Committee of Advar-e Takim-e Vahdat
2. Niki Akhavan, Associate Professor at the Catholic University of America
3. Leila Alikarami, Human Rights Lawyer and Women’s Rights Defender
4. Mahsa Alimardani, Technology and Human Rights Researcher at ARTICLE 19
5. Mehdi Aminzadeh, Political Activist
6. Leila Asadi, Women’s Rights Defender and PhD Candidate in Justice Studies
7. Zeinab Asgharpour, Political Activist and member of the Central Committee of Advar-e Takim-e Vahdat
8. Kamran Ashtary, Executive Director at Arseh Sevom
9. Kaveh Azarhoosh, Senior Researcher at Small Media
10. Arash Azizi, Writer, Scholar, and PhD Candidate at New York University
11. Emad Bahavar, Political Activist
12. Maryam Bahrman, Women’s Rights Defender
13. Narges Bajoghli, Scholar and Assistant Professor at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University
14. Rudi Bakhtiar, Journalist
15. Fereidoon Bashar, Executive Director at ASL19
16. Masoud Bastani, Journalist
17. Amir Bayani, Head of MENA Program at ARTICLE 19
18. Farangis Bayat, Women’s Rights Defender and Researcher
19. Hamed Behravan, President of Movements.org
20. Farhad Davoodi, Translator and Writer
21. Parastoo Dokouhaki, Women’s Rights Defender
22. Majid Dori, Civic Activist
23. Arefe Elyasi, Women’s Rights Defender
24. Reza Fani Yazdi, Human Rights Activist
25. Nima Fatemi, Researcher and Founding Director of Kandoo
26. Roja Fazaeli, Professor at Trinity College, Dublin
27. Alireza Firoozi, Former Student Activist
28. Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran
29. Saghi Ghahraman, Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO)
30. Reza Ghazinouri, Human Rights Activist
31. Mahdiye Golrou, Women’s Rights Activist
32. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Nonviolence Initiative for Democracy
33. Aidin Hassanloo, Journalist
34. Sourena Hashemi, Project Coordinator at Net Freedom Pioneers
35. Mo Hosseini, MENA Program Officer at ARTICLE 19
36. Sirous Hosseinifar, Artist
37. Maryam Hosseinkhah, Journalist
38. Mahboube Hosseinzadeh, Women’s Rights Defender
39. Thomas Hughes, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19
40. Mehri Jafari, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist
41. Guissou Jahangiri, Women’s Rights Defender and Executive Director of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)
42. Mahdieh Javid, Human Rights Attorney
43. Sepideh Jodeyri, Poet and Women’s Rights Defender
44. Hadi KahalZadeh, Researcher of Public Policy at Brandeis University
45. Parvin Kahzadi, Journalist and Civic Activist
46. Parisa Kakaee, Women’s and Children’s Rights Activist
47. Mehrangiz Kar, Human Rights Lawyer and Women’s Rights Defender
48. Mina Keshavarz, Film Director
49. Nooshin Keshavarznia, Women’s Rights Activist
50. Azam Khatam, Researcher and University Professor
51. Mostafa Khosravi, Director of Communication at Arseh Sevom
52. Nasim Khosravi Moghaddam, Writer and Theatre Director
53. Masoud Ladoni, Meli-Mazhabi Activist
54. Firuzeh Mahmoudi, Executive Director of United for Iran
55. Mahtab Mahmoudi, Women’s Rights Defender
56. Feri Malek-Madani, Women’s Rights Activist
57. James Marchant, Research Manager at Small Media
58. Sara Masoumi, Journalist
59. Anna May, Director of Development and Operations at ASL19
60. Maryam Mazrooei, War Photographer and Journalist
61. Ahmad Medadi, Teacher Rights Activist
62. Roozbeh MirEbrahimi, Journalist and Researcher
63. Naheed Mirhaj, Women’s Rights Defender
64. Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Researcher
65. Manijeh Moazen, Journalist
66. Azin Mohajerin, Civic Activist and Researcher
67. Mehrnoosh Mohammadian, Activist
68. Sohrab Mokhtari, Writer and Translator
69. Zahra Moshtagh, Journalist
70. Laleh Mostofi, Film Director
71. Mani Mostofi, Senior Human Rights Advisor at United for Iran
72. Sarvenaz Mostofi, Artist
73. Negar Mottahdeh, Professor
74. Alieh Mottalebzadeh, Women’s Rights Defender and Journalist
75. Ali Akbar Mousavi, Former member of Iran’s Parliament and Internet Freedom Advocate
76. Zia Nabavi, Student Activist
77. Mojtaba Najafi, Researcher
78. Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer
79. Mohammad Oliyafard, Human Rights Lawyer
80. Shahriar Paknia, Researcher and University Professor
81. Zeinab Peyghambarzadeh, Gender Equality Activist
82. Mohammad Pourabdollah, Political Activist
83. Azadeh Pourzand, Executive Director of Siamak Pourzand Foundation
84. Somaye Qodousi, Civic Researcher
85. Hossein Raessi, Human Rights Lawyer and Professor at Law
86. Keyvan Rafie, Director at Human Rights Activists in Iran
87. Neelam Raina, Associate Professor at Middlesex University
88. Niloofar Rajaeifar, Actress
89. Somayeh Rashidi, Women’s Rights Defender
90. Negar Razavi, Scholar and Visiting Assistant Professor in Anthropology at William and Mary
91. Sabra Rezai, Women’s Rights Activist
92. Afsaneh Rigot, MENA Officer at ARTICLE 19
93. Simin Rouzgard, Human Rights Activist
94. Touraj Saberivand, Social Activist
95. Setareh Sabety, Journalist
96. Aida Sadat, Human and Women’s Rights Activist
97. Sima Saeedi, Former Journalist
98. Isa Saharkhiz, Journalist
99. Mousa Saket, Political and Civic Activist and member of Advar Tahkim Vahdat
100. Afsaneh Salari, Filmmaker
101. Faraz Sanei, Human Rights Lawyer
102. Rod Sanjabi, Human Rights Lawyer
103. Nasim Sarabandi, Women’s Rights Defender
104. Daisy Schmitt, Women’s Rights Programme Officer at the International Federation of Human        Rights (FIDH)
105. Kevin Schumacher, Human Rights Defender
106. Mahdis Sdeghipouya, Women’s Rights Defender and Gender Researcher
107. Afshin Shahi, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bradford
108. Sima Shakhsari, Professor at the University of Minnesota
109. Mansoureh Shoajee, Researcher and Women’s Rights Activist
110. Jinous Sobhani, Human Rights, Women’s Rights, and Children’s Rights Activist
111. Maedeh Soltani, Human Rights Defender
112. Amir Soltani, Author, Zahra’s Paradise
113. Bita Tahbaz, Women’s Rights Activist
114. Sussan Tahmasebi, Women’s Rights Defender and Executive Director of FEMENA
115. Maziar Tataei, Attorney at Law
116. Nayereh Tohidi, Professor and Director of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at California State University, Northridge
117. Soheila Vahdati, Independent Scholar
118. Adrienne van Heteren, Director at Small Media
119. Kyra Wigard, Legal Fellow at Armanshahr and OPENASIA
120. Mitra Zargar, Sociologist and Human Rights Advocate
121. Parvin Zarrabi, Women’s Rights, Peace, and Environmental Activist