United Nations: Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi has said that opposition to the Iranian government is growing, spurred by an increase in government violence, more human rights violations and deepening poverty.
The human rights lawyer, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she came to the United Nations to talk about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and seek support for a draft U.N. General Assembly resolution that would condemn the country`s rights record.
Although much of the opposition movement has gone underground since the violent crackdown after the disputed June 2009 presidential election, Ebadi said it definitely isn`t faltering.
"I can tell you that opposition is increasing in Iran," she said. "Not only the government is becoming more violent every day, and there are more violations of human rights, but the issue of poverty has become another issue now. ... And, of course, poverty plays a big role in opposition."
She said the latest statistics she received had Iran`s economy growing by just 1.6 percent a year, lower than the rates in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ebadi urged the international community "to bring the voice of the people of Iran and the political prisoners to the outside world," stressing that the human rights situation in Iran "is very bad ... (and) is worsening."
She singled out the case of prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has been on hunger strike since Sept. 25 but stopped drinking all liquids five days ago to protest her detention in solitary confinement on suspicion of spreading propaganda against the ruling system.
Ebadi said Sotoudeh`s mother, sister and children went to visit her three days ago and they said "she was in poor health, she was weak, she couldn`t talk, and also her face was bruised."
But despite her weakness, Ebadi said messages she got from other prisoners "say she`s continuing her hunger strike — and she may not be able to survive this hunger strike."
Sotoudeh is believed to be one of the first lawyers jailed after representing several of the more than 100 activists and political figures tried on charges of fomenting postelection unrest. Her arrest in September was seen as a signal of a possible widening crackdown on the pro-reform opposition that took to the streets to protest the victory claimed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ebadi has lived outside her homeland since a day before last year`s disputed presidential elections.
Doesn`t she worry that she would be arrested if she returns?
"It`s not important whether I am arrested or not," Ebadi said. "What counts is where I could be more useful for the people of Iran. And I feel that today with the censorship that exists in Iran I could be more useful outside of Iran."
Bureau Report
