Date: Monday, November 11, 2019
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Director

Iran's Human Rights Record

The Islamic Republic of Iran is an existential threat to Israel and its main enemy in the Middle East. It is also not just a threat to Israel. As we have noted repeatedly, Iran is the main source of chaos and instability throughout the region.

Israel is one of the most diverse nations in the Middle East with a well-established system of justice. Genuine tolerance for religious and ethnic minorities is a respected virtue among Israelis, and the human rights of all Israel's residents are protected by the state.

The same cannot be said of Iran. And Iran's record on human rights goes hand-in-hand with its state sponsorship of terrorism and threats to its Arab neighbors. For example:

Reports by the United Nations and Amnesty International document that torture and forced confessions are common practices in Iran.
While Iran claims to protect and promote women's rights, the U.N. warns that women in Iran face "ongoing repression," especially those who dare to speak out against "compulsory veiling." In addition, Iran ranks near the bottom out of 149 nations measured by the World Economic Forum's 2018 Global Gender Gap.
Iran remains one of the most heavily censored nations, in spite of claims that it respects freedom of speech. The Committee to Protect Journalists writes that Iran is "especially adept" at "jailing and harassing journalists and their families."
And when it comes to democratic rights and free elections, Iran again ranks near the bottom. The nation is ruled by a "supreme leader," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is an unelected theocrat. The elections that are permitted in Iran are rigged in advance by the Guardian Council, which selects the candidates who are permitted to run for office.

Iran's disrespect for human rights is on full display today in Iraq where more than 300 Iraqis have been killed in recent weeks, and more than 15,000 wounded, protesting the corruption of the Iranian-dominated government and Iranian-funded Shia militias.

It wasn't that long ago when the Shia-majority nation of Iraq looked favorably upon its Iranian neighbor. In 2014, 86% of Iraqis had a favorable opinion of Iran. Today, that figure has plummeted to just 41%.