Javid Rahman, the United Nations’ special reporter on Human Rights in Iran in a press conference on Wednesday, October 24, expressed his concerns about the situation of the imprisoned Iranian environmental activists and condemned the mandatory hijab as a violation of human rights and international laws.

While referring to the issues that he had raised in his report, Rahman expressed hope about Iran’s decision to change its capital punishment laws for drug-related crimes but also voiced his disappointment and concern about death sentences for children and underage youth.

He also mentioned the challenges of unemployment and rampant inflation facing the Iranian people.

The Special Human Rights Reporter also mentioned the uprising across the country in the last several months and the resulting crackdown and raised concern about the fate of those arrested during the peaceful protests. He also said he is hopeful that the regime would answer his request and allow him to visit Iran.

Since his appointment in July 2018, Rahman’s requests for traveling to Iran have been denied.

In response to a question about the arrested environmental activists, he said: “There are several different groups in Iran that I worry about, and one of those groups is the environmental activists.” On the issue of the persecution of minorities, he said: “One of my requests from the Islamic Republic was to give me more information about the Judiciary’s actions towards the minorities.”

He condemned pressuring journalists and threatening their families and confiscating their belongings and called it a serious violation of human rights and freedom of speech.

Rahman also stated that any subjugation of women, including the mandatory hijab, is a violation of their human rights.

He said he is open to a conversation with the government, and that he has to talk with the government on all these issues one by one, including the incarceration of dual citizens.