VZCZCXRO7962
OO RUEHAT RUEHBC RUEHKUK RUEHSL RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #2108/01 0362029
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 052022Z FEB 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
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INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 012108 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IR PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST II: PRESSURING IRAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
REF: 09 STATE 7242 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  This cable is a follow-on action request 
to reftel.  Please see paragraph four.  In addition to 
coordinating with host governments on the upcoming Universal 
Periodic Review (UPR) process on Iran, Department requests 
posts to engage host governments at high levels to call on 
them to make the Iranian human rights issue central to their 
bilateral engagement with Iran and their own public 
statements.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------- 
ACTION ADDRESSES 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  This is an action request for Embassies Rome, New 
Delhi, Madrid, Brasilia, Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Ottawa, The 
Hague, Brussels, Vienna, Stockholm, Sophia, Nicosia, Prague, 
Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki, Athens, Budapest, Dublin, 
Riga, Vilnius, Luxembourg, Valletta, Amsterdam, Warsaw, 
Lisbon, Bucharest, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Mexico City, 
Pretoria, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Ashgabat, Ankara, Tbilisi, 
and USEU. 
 
--------- 
Rationale 
--------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) We are deeply disturbed by the dramatic and 
continued human-rights violations that have occurred in Iran 
in the aftermath of the June 12 election.  The Iranian 
government has undertaken large-scale detentions and show 
trials, threatened the execution of protestors and political 
activists, and it continues to deny its citizens the right to 
peaceful expression of independent views.  Our human-rights 
concerns about Iran are based on our commitment to universal 
respect for human rights and are not unique to Iran.  Reports 
indicate there may be more, potentially larger-scale, 
demonstrations February 1-11 during the "Ten Days of Dawn," 
which commemorate the 1979 victory of the Islamic Revolution 
in Iran.  Out of concern the Iranian government will use 
increasing levels of violence and repression to disrupt these 
demonstrations, we ask that you share these talking points 
with governments to raise international visibility of Iran's 
human rights violations and increase pressure on Iran to live 
up to its international obligations.  We also note that Iran 
is seeking a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) in the 
HRC election scheduled for May 2010 in New York.  A 
successful Iranian bid would undermine the UN human rights 
 
STATE 00012108  002 OF 004 
 
 
system and reward and embolden the regime in its human rights 
abuses.  The United States, along with others, will be urging 
governments not to support Iran's candidacy. 
 
--------------- 
Action Request 
--------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Posts are requested to approach appropriate host 
government officials at high levels as soon as feasible and 
request host countries publicly and privately express their 
concern about the declining human rights situation in Iran 
and condemn Iran's human-rights abuses.  We encourage 
governments to use any interactions with Iranian officials to 
make clear the increasing levels of repression in Iran are 
unacceptable, are not in keeping with Iran's international 
obligations, and are not in the interest of Iran's bilateral 
relations with the host country.  Posts should draw from the 
points in paragraph 7. 
 
---------- 
Objectives 
---------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Posts should seek to achieve the following: 
 
-- Emphasize the commitment of the United States and the host 
country to universal rights and freedoms of all people. 
 
-- Urge the host country to convey to Iranian officials, at 
every opportunity, that repression is unacceptable and not in 
the interest of their bilateral relationship with Iran. 
 
-- Express concern about the Iranian government's practice of 
jailing individuals based on their political and religious 
beliefs. 
 
-- Emphasize that Iran must abide by its international 
human-rights obligations and respect the international 
treaties it has ratified, including those that prohibit 
torture. 
 
-- Convey that Iran appears sensitive to diplomatic isolation 
and the use of high-level statements.  The latter have been 
effective in drawing attention to Iran's continued human 
rights abuses. 
 
-- Express concern regarding Iran's candidacy for the UN 
Human Rights Council. 
 
--------------------------- 
Talking Points 
--------------------------- 
 
STATE 00012108  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Begin talking points: 
 
-- We have been concerned about the human rights situation in 
Iran for some time, especially the brutal, repressive tactics 
the Iranian government has employed against its own 
population following the June 12 election. 
 
-- Our concerns are based on our commitment to universal 
rights for all people, and are not unique to Iran. 
 
-- We are particularly concerned by the potential for further 
violence and repression during the coming weeks, especially 
during the period from February 1-11 (the "Ten Days of Dawn"). 
 
-- We ask you to join us in condemning the human-rights 
abuses taking place in Iran, and that you publicly and 
privately reinforce the following messages: 
 
-- The international community will not lose sight of the 
plight of political and religious prisoners in Iran and calls 
on the government to ensure their humane treatment, legal 
rights under Iran's Constitution and international 
commitments, and immediate and unconditional release. 
 
-- The Iranian government should consider why it fears the 
aspirations of its own people and realize that a government 
that represses its population can never be strong or 
respected at home or in the community of nations. 
 
-- Iran is isolating its own population from the world.  By 
suppressing the Internet and mobile-phone networks, and by 
harassing those who seek to engage in scholarly exchanges, 
Iran is harming essential family interactions, professional 
growth, and business transactions of its own people. 
 
-- We urge you to use any upcoming interactions with Iranian 
officials to emphasize that Iran's repressive tactics ) 
including the recent execution of two protestors arrested 
after the June elections - are not in Iran's interest if it 
seeks international respect. Please join us in calling upon 
Iran to hold accountable those who have committed human 
rights abuses against its own people.  Iran's leaders should 
know the international community is united in its concern 
about the ongoing repression in Iran. 
 
-- Such a message will underscore to Iran that the world 
notices it has yet to comply with the requests of the United 
Nations General Assembly when it called on Iran to cooperate 
fully with, and admit entry to, the UN Special Rapporteur on 
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or 
punishment, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and 
protection of the right to freedom of expression, the Special 
 
STATE 00012108  004 OF 004 
 
 
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the 
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group 
on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance.  We ask that you 
continue to press Iran to comply with these requests from the 
international community ) in both your private interactions 
with Iran and in your public statements. 
 
End points 
 
---------------------- 
Reporting Requirement 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Posts are requested to report the results of their 
efforts by February 10. 
 
---------------- 
Point of Contact 
---------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Department POCs for follow-up are: Michael G. Spring, 
NEA/IR, 202-647-2516, SpringMG@State.gov; Brianne Marwaha, 
NEA/IR, 202-647-2569, MarwahaBC@State.gov; and Jill 
Hutchings, DRL/NESCA, 202-647-9692, HutchingsJE@state.gov. 
 
¶9. (U) Department thanks posts for their assistance.  Please 
slug all responses for NEA/IR, DRL, P, and the NSC. 
CLINTON