G7 Ministers Urge Iran To Respect UN Civil Rights Covenant

In a statement after a G7 meeting in Berlin on Friday, German Women’s Minister Lisa Paus and her G7 counterparts appealed to the Islamic Republic to put an end to violence and the suppression of protests in the country, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody of hijab police. 

“We call on the Iranian government to listen to the concerns of its own people, to respect their rights and to immediately put an end to the ongoing brutal repression of peaceful protests, which stands in contradiction to Iran's obligations under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),” they said. “We applaud the courage of the Iranian women and girls who are peacefully protesting together with their fellow citizens.”

Adopted by the UN General Assembly, the ICCPR – of which Iran is a member -- commits states parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. 

Urging the Iranian government to “put an end to all forms of persecution and violence against all Iranians, especially against Iranian women and girls," they reminded Iran that “Women's rights are human rights, and the Iranian authorities are “obligated under international law to guarantee the equal and full enjoyment of all human rights by all women and girls.”