Women leaders call to expel Islamic Republic of Iran from U.N. Women's Rights Commission

The Open Letter was published in Sunday's New York Times and expresses solidarity with Iranian women and girls, as well as men, who are continuing their daily protests for more than 40 days now across the Islamic Republic and abroad following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini.

Reports of extreme punishments and harsh crackdowns against protestors by Iranian authorities have flooded international headlines and social media feeds in the weeks since Amini's death, gaining worldwide attention and scrutiny.

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The open letter states: "We condemn the brutal violence of security forces against peaceful protesters [..] Earlier this year, to the dismay of women's rights advocates around the world, Iran began a four–year term on the UN's 45–member Commission on the Status of Women. This preeminent global body is exclusively dedicated to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. The Islamic Republic of Iran's long–standing, systematic oppression of women should have disqualified them from election to the CSW."

The double spaced open letter in Sunday's New York Times / © New York Times

On Twitter, Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch, a prominent non-profit organisation, had tweeted their position on Iran’s affiliation to the UN body earlier in the month, in a tweet addressed to Secretary Antony Blinken.

Hillel Neuer

The Open Letter was published a day after the two female Iranian journalists who helped break the story of Mahsa Amini, whose death in custody sparked the uprising, were formally accused on Friday of being CIA spies and the "primary sources of news for foreign media" — the former is a crime punishable by the death penalty in Iran.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran was shamefully elected to the UN Commission on the Status of Women–the UN’s top women’s rights body–for a four‑year term that began in March 2022" says the official campaign.

The letter also addresses gender inequality and legalized discrimination against women regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, child custody cases and attire. The signatories of the letter warn that the Commission on the Status of Women will lose credibility each day Iran remains a member.

In Luxembourg as well, a protest took place in Kirchberg over the weekend, with Iranians and allies creating a human chain throughout the Red Bridge (Pont Adolphe) on Saturday.

Protesters formed a human chain from near the Place de l Europe, and accross the Red Bridge. / © Christos Floros / RTL