In Iran, human rights cannot be sacrificed for a nuclear deal

Diplomacy is, without doubt, preferable to war or to the sanctions that have impoverished ordinary Iranians already struggling in a corrupt and mismanaged economy. Under the shadow of negotiations, however, Iran’s appalling human rights situation has hardly changed. If anything, the alarming rate of executions seems to have increased in recent weeks. A handful of political prisoners have been released as a symbolic gesture, but many still languish in inhumane conditions. The torture of dissidents and the censorship of the media both continue as before. The persecution of religious minorities such as Bahais and Christians and of ethnic groups such as Ahwazi Arabs, Balochis and Kurds likewise continues unabated. The hard-line leadership is letting Iranians know that a strategic retreat in nuclear negotiations to end sanctions does not translate into reform at home. Will the world community disregard human rights in the coming months to conclude a comprehensive nuclear deal?

(2013-11-29/washingtonpost)