ACTION REQUEST II: PRESSURING IRAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 012108 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IR PHUM PREL SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST II: PRESSURING IRAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS REF: 09 STATE 7242 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. This cable is a follow-on action request to reftel. Please see paragraph four. In addition to coordinating with host governments on the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on Iran, Department requests posts to engage host governments at high levels to call on them to make the Iranian human rights issue central to their bilateral engagement with Iran and their own public statements. END SUMMARY. -------------- ACTION ADDRESSES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) This is an action request for Embassies Rome, New Delhi, Madrid, Brasilia, Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Ottawa, The Hague, Brussels, Vienna, Stockholm, Sophia, Nicosia, Prague, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki, Athens, Budapest, Dublin, Riga, Vilnius, Luxembourg, Valletta, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Lisbon, Bucharest, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Mexico City, Pretoria, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Ashgabat, Ankara, Tbilisi, and USEU. -------------- Rationale -------------- ¶3. (SBU) We are deeply disturbed by the dramatic and continued human-rights violations that have occurred in Iran in the aftermath of the June 12 election. The Iranian government has undertaken large-scale detentions and show trials, threatened the execution of protestors and political activists, and it continues to deny its citizens the right to peaceful expression of independent views. Our human-rights concerns about Iran are based on our commitment to universal respect for human rights and are not unique to Iran. Reports indicate there may be more, potentially larger-scale, demonstrations February 1-11 during the "Ten Days of Dawn," which commemorate the 1979 victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Out of concern the Iranian government will use increasing levels of violence and repression to disrupt these demonstrations, we ask that you share these talking points with governments to raise international visibility of Iran's human rights violations and increase pressure on Iran to live up to its international obligations. We also note that Iran is seeking a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) in the HRC election scheduled for May 2010 in New York. A successful Iranian bid would undermine the UN human rights STATE 00012108 002 OF 004 system and reward and embolden the regime in its human rights abuses. The United States, along with others, will be urging governments not to support Iran's candidacy. -------------- Action Request -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Posts are requested to approach appropriate host government officials at high levels as soon as feasible and request host countries publicly and privately express their concern about the declining human rights situation in Iran and condemn Iran's human-rights abuses. We encourage governments to use any interactions with Iranian officials to make clear the increasing levels of repression in Iran are unacceptable, are not in keeping with Iran's international obligations, and are not in the interest of Iran's bilateral relations with the host country. Posts should draw from the points in paragraph 7. -------------- Objectives -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Posts should seek to achieve the following: -- Emphasize the commitment of the United States and the host country to universal rights and freedoms of all people. -- Urge the host country to convey to Iranian officials, at every opportunity, that repression is unacceptable and not in the interest of their bilateral relationship with Iran. -- Express concern about the Iranian government's practice of jailing individuals based on their political and religious beliefs. -- Emphasize that Iran must abide by its international human-rights obligations and respect the international treaties it has ratified, including those that prohibit torture. -- Convey that Iran appears sensitive to diplomatic isolation and the use of high-level statements. The latter have been effective in drawing attention to Iran's continued human rights abuses. -- Express concern regarding Iran's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council. -------------- Talking Points -------------- STATE 00012108 003 OF 004 ¶6. (SBU) Begin talking points: -- We have been concerned about the human rights situation in Iran for some time, especially the brutal, repressive tactics the Iranian government has employed against its own population following the June 12 election. -- Our concerns are based on our commitment to universal rights for all people, and are not unique to Iran. -- We are particularly concerned by the potential for further violence and repression during the coming weeks, especially during the period from February 1-11 (the "Ten Days of Dawn"). -- We ask you to join us in condemning the human-rights abuses taking place in Iran, and that you publicly and privately reinforce the following messages: -- The international community will not lose sight of the plight of political and religious prisoners in Iran and calls on the government to ensure their humane treatment, legal rights under Iran's Constitution and international commitments, and immediate and unconditional release. -- The Iranian government should consider why it fears the aspirations of its own people and realize that a government that represses its population can never be strong or respected at home or in the community of nations. -- Iran is isolating its own population from the world. By suppressing the Internet and mobile-phone networks, and by harassing those who seek to engage in scholarly exchanges, Iran is harming essential family interactions, professional growth, and business transactions of its own people. -- We urge you to use any upcoming interactions with Iranian officials to emphasize that Iran's repressive tactics ) including the recent execution of two protestors arrested after the June elections - are not in Iran's interest if it seeks international respect. Please join us in calling upon Iran to hold accountable those who have committed human rights abuses against its own people. Iran's leaders should know the international community is united in its concern about the ongoing repression in Iran. -- Such a message will underscore to Iran that the world notices it has yet to comply with the requests of the United Nations General Assembly when it called on Iran to cooperate fully with, and admit entry to, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of expression, the Special STATE 00012108 004 OF 004 Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance. We ask that you continue to press Iran to comply with these requests from the international community ) in both your private interactions with Iran and in your public statements. End points -------------- Reporting Requirement -------------- ¶7. (U) Posts are requested to report the results of their efforts by February 10. -------------- Point of Contact -------------- ¶8. (U) Department POCs for follow-up are: Michael G. Spring, NEA/IR, 202-647-2516, SpringMG@State.gov; Brianne Marwaha, NEA/IR, 202-647-2569, MarwahaBC@State.gov; and Jill Hutchings, DRL/NESCA, 202-647-9692, HutchingsJE@state.gov. ¶9. (U) Department thanks posts for their assistance. Please slug all responses for NEA/IR, DRL, P, and the NSC. CLINTON