Eighty-two human rights organizations have sent a joint statement on the human rights situation in Iran to the members of the United Nations General Assembly

On the eve of the review and vote on the draft resolution concerning the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations General Assembly, eighty-five Iranian and international human rights organizations submitted a joint statement to the representatives of member states.

Drawing on three official United Nations reports—the report of the Secretary-General, the report of the Special Rapporteur, and the report of the International Independent Fact-Finding Mission—the statement stresses that the widespread, serious, and systematic human rights violations in Iran are at, or close to, the threshold of crimes against humanity.

The joint statement calls on the General Assembly to:

• adopt the Iran-related resolution with stronger language,
• enable the referral of serious human rights violations in Iran to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court,
• use all of its authorities to ensure international accountability,
• and provide effective support to civil society, human rights defenders, and vulnerable groups in Iran.

The signatory organizations warn that the continuation of repression, state violence, and the perpetuation of a cycle of impunity pose a serious threat to human dignity, social stability, and regional security.

The full text of the joint statement is published below.

Joint Statement to the Members of the United Nations General Assembly
Concerning the Human Rights Situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Excellencies,
We, the undersigned organizations, write to you with the utmost respect for the essential role of the General Assembly in upholding the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and with deep concern about the intensifying widespread, organized, and systematic human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Our purpose is to draw your attention to the alarming findings of three official reports submitted within the UN system: the report of the UN Secretary-General, the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, all submitted to the relevant UN bodies.

These reports—each from a different perspective but aligned in their conclusions—present a profoundly troubling picture of severe and systematic patterns of human rights violations. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission has determined that violations committed by Iranian authorities—particularly the violent suppression of protests, widespread and arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial executions, and enforced disappearances—are at, or may reach, the level of crimes against humanity. The Special Rapporteur’s report reinforces these findings by documenting the ongoing and systematic nature of state repression. The Secretary-General’s report highlights the structural and institutional dimensions of these violations, as well as the persistent failure of domestic mechanisms to ensure accountability.

The realities reflected in these reports fully correspond with what our organizations observe daily through direct contact with victims, survivors, political prisoners, and their families. Beyond data and legal assessments, we confront the lived experiences of individuals enduring profound suffering and state-imposed isolation—without access to justice and without a voice. The testimonies and documentation we receive make clear that these violations are not isolated incidents, but systematic, recurring, and purposeful patterns affecting millions of lives.

The draft resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, which was previously adopted by the Third Committee, is now before the General Assembly for a vote. We believe that the international community bears a moral and legal responsibility not only to ensure the adoption of this resolution, but also to strengthen it so that it fully reflects the severity and scope of the crisis.
Internationally recognized principles—such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), which underscores the need for collective action in the face of severe and systematic human rights violations, as well as the preventive role of the international community in averting humanitarian crises—affirm the necessity of decisive action. The current situation in Iran, marked by widespread state violence, deep social fragility, and the risk of escalating regional instability, is a clear example of circumstances in which the General Assembly must use its available tools to prevent further deterioration.

Accordingly, we respectfully call on the General Assembly to:

1. adopt the draft resolution on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran with broad support and strengthened language, reflecting the findings of all three UN reports, including the determination that some violations may amount to crimes against humanity.
2. recommend that serious human rights violations in Iran be referred to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for examination, investigation, and possible prosecution—an action consistent with established United Nations practice in comparable contexts marked by prolonged cycles of violence and impunity.
3. use all of its authorities to advance international accountability, particularly where other mechanisms lack the capacity to act effectively, and in accordance with the UN Charter and the Assembly’s established responsibilities to safeguard human rights, peace, and international security.
4. support the establishment or renewal of independent fact-finding and evidence-preservation mechanisms to ensure that documentation of widespread violations is safeguarded for future accountability processes, including transitional justice mechanisms or international prosecutions.
5. emphasize the need to support Iranian civil society—including human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, journalists, lawyers, labor activists, and members of especially vulnerable communities such as ethnic and religious minorities—and call on the Iranian government to take concrete and effective measures to protect their rights.
6. underline the need for the immediate release of all political prisoners, a halt to executions, and an end to the violent repression of peaceful protests.

Excellencies,
This joint statement reflects not only institutional and legal concerns, but also the voices of thousands of families who have spent years seeking truth, justice, and the support of the international community. We respectfully request that, ahead of the upcoming vote, you uphold your collective responsibility to protect human dignity and prevent the continuation of the cycle of violence and impunity.

Respectfully,
The undersigned organizations:

1. Zagros Human Rights Center (UN consultative status)
2. Azerbaijan Human Rights Association – ARK (UN consultative status)
3. Multicultural Relations Association
4. International Association of Doctors and Healthcare Staff
5. Ahwaz Human Rights Center
6. Al-Masdar Al-Ahwazi
7. Alliance for Minority Rights
8. Women, Life, Freedom Association – Florence
9. Women, Life, Freedom Alliance – Stockholm
10. Iranian Free Women’s Association – Italy
11. Mana Association – Milan
12. Association of Injured and Justice-Seeking Protesters of the Zhina Uprising
13. Left Women’s Alliance
14. Azadaneh Association – Paris
15. Balochistan Human Rights Campaign
16. Balochistan Human Rights Group
17. Bermash – Voice of Baloch Women
18. Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners
19. Free Them Now – Campaign for the Freedom of Imprisoned Workers
20. Campaign for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Iran
21. Central Council of Joint Actions – Netherlands
22. Committee for the Defense of Freedom and Democracy in Iran
23. Independent Committee Against the Repression of Iranian Citizens
24. Communist Youth Organization
25. Justice-Seeking Girls Campaign
26. Dona–Vita–Libertà Association (Italy)
27. Esmaeil Khoi Foundation
28. EuroPress
29. Ex-Muslims of Scandinavia
30. Free Human – Germany
31. Free Iran Campaign
32. Free Iran – Switzerland
33. Global Campaign “No to Executions in Iran”
34. Hana Human Rights Organization
35. Hana Rojhelat Organization
36. Human Rights Commission of the Republican and Social Democratic Party of Iran
37. International Committee Against Executions
38. International Association for the Public Health of Iranians
39. Independent Committee Confronting the Repression of Iranian Citizens
40. International Association of Legal and Political Defenders of Iran
41. Iranian Refugees’ National Federation
42. Justice Supporters’ Center
43. International Solidarity for Peace
44. Fresno Center for Culture and Art
45. Iran House
46. Iran Protest – Malmö
47. Khavaran 1988 Movement – No to Torture, No to Execution
48. Khavaran Committee
49. Women’s Rights Association – Sweden
50. Kurdistan Human Rights Reporters Network
51. Kurdistan Justice-Seekers
52. Kurdistan Women’s Union
53. Women’s Rights Organization – Sweden
54. Nair Jurist Bureau
55. Iranians’ Network for Freedom and Democracy
56. Nika Network
57. Nika Organization
58. No to Execution Coalition
59. No to Execution Campaign
60. No to the Islamic Republic Group – Orange County
61. Rojhelat Women’s Organization – Iranian Kurdistan
62. Secular Democratic Republicans of Iran
63. Anoosheh Group – Organizing Council
64. Simorgh Cross-Faction Civil and Political Group
65. Human Rights Committee of Iran’s Republican Solidarity
66. Solidarity Network
67. Solidarity Network for Human Rights in Iran
68. Solidarity with the Iranian Community – Canada
69. Campaign to Stop Honor Killings
70. Human Rights Association for the 21st Century
71. Alliance to End Executions in Iran
72. Justice-Seekers and Injured Protesters of the Zhina Uprising
73. Zagros Voice Network
74. Women’s Sustainable Independence and Equality Network
75. Women, Life, Freedom Association – Nuremberg, Germany
76. Women, Life, Freedom Association – Austria
77. Women, Life, Freedom Association – Brussels
78. Women, Life, Freedom Association – Germany
79. Women, Life, Freedom Association – Munich
80. Women, Life, Freedom Network – Belgium
81. Women’s Revolution Collective
82. Women’s Rights Association