The Governing Council of the Community of Democracies statement regarding protest in Iran

November 19, 2022- Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

“We, the following Member States of the Community of Democracies Governing Council (Argentina, Canada, Chile, Estonia, Guatemala, Lithuania, Morocco, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay) express our solidarity with the courageous people of Iran, especially women, who are protesting against oppression by the Iranian authorities, including gender-based discrimination, human rights violations and abuses, and disproportionate use of force, and we are calling for justice, accountability, and respect for human rights and dignity.

“We remain extremely concerned by reports that an Iranian court has sentenced a protestor to death as well as continued repressive measures against protesters and the Iranian authorities’ attempts to restrict and censor the people of Iran’s access to information, mobile communications, and the Internet. We call on the Iranian government to immediately stop all forms of violence against all of its people, and to meaningfully acknowledge and address the root causes of the legitimate grievances of the people of Iran, especially women. We also urge the Iranian government to stop trying to silence the people of Iran and instead allow them to communicate with each other and the world.

“The above-mentioned Member States of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies express solidarity with the people of Iran in supporting their ability to assemble and express themselves freely, both online and offline, and urge the government of Iran to fully respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people of Iran.

“To this end, we continue our support for the UN Human Rights bodies, and we call on Iran to allow access to the country for UN Human Rights Special Procedures mandate holders, notably the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”