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Amnesty International says U.S. interference has worsened the situation for Iranians.
Keystone/AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
The peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran is intended to end the conflict. Human rights experts warn, however, that the agreement could, of all things, give the Iranian regime more leeway to crack down on its own people.
Trump basked in applause at the Palace of Versailles as he signed the memorandum of understanding for the deal with Iran.
Key politicians met over the weekend at Bürgenstock to discuss the details of the peace agreement. The issues at stake include an end to hostilities, the Strait of Hormuz, funds for reconstruction, and nuclear weapons.
And point 2 of the memorandum of understanding addresses “sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Iran and the U.S. agree not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs.
Beat Gerber, spokesperson for the human rights organization Amnesty International Switzerland, criticizes the memorandum of understanding: “Such clauses carry the risk that any international criticism will be viewed as ‘interference,’” he says. “For the population, this could mean that international pressure on the regime decreases—even though it is precisely this pressure that is crucial to stopping human rights violations. But human rights are not an ‘internal matter’; they are universal.”
During the mass protests in Iran against the regime in January, Donald Trump promised on his Truth Social platform: “Iran is striving for FREEDOM, perhaps as never before. The U.S. is ready to help!!!” That is no longer the case.
From a human rights perspective, the Iranian civilian population is worse off today than it was before the intervention by the U.S. and Israel. “The armed conflict has claimed civilian lives—at the same time, the Iranian regime has deliberately exploited the war situation to massively increase internal pressure,” explains Beat Gerber. “Under the guise of ‘security measures,’ thousands of people have been arbitrarily arrested, supporters of the protest movement have been persecuted, and political executions have been accelerated.”
While international attention was focused on the war, a report by Amnesty International from late May indicated a massive escalation of the human rights situation in Iran. Since the U.S. and Israeli military attack on February 28, more than 6,000 people have been arbitrarily detained in Iran, including demonstrators, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, and members of minority groups. At the same time, at least 39 political executions were carried out.
“The population was thus exposed to two threats at the same time: military attacks from outside and massive repression by its own state,” says Beat Gerber. While the war briefly weakened the regime, it also strengthened its repressive control domestically. “A ceasefire therefore is far from meaning peace for the people of Iran: violence and impunity continue.”
The attack was therefore not the “help” in the quest for freedom that Trump had announced in January. “The war did not strengthen the struggle for freedom; rather, it made it even more difficult,” says Beat Gerber. On the one hand, many people suffered directly from the consequences of the attacks. On the other hand, the regime exploited the situation to delegitimize protests and portray critics as “enemies.”
“Many people in Iran continue to fight for their rights—but under even more dangerous conditions.” The peace agreement does nothing to change that. “On the contrary: Developments so far indicate that the government is trying to secure its power through increased internal repression.”
Just one day after President Trump signed the memorandum of understanding on the deal with Iran, 29-year-old Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and members of her band and production team were sentenced to 74 lashes and a two-year ban on travel and professional activity. The court ruling states that the group had disseminated “vulgar and immoral content” online.
In December, Parastoo Ahmadi had given a virtual concert wearing a sleeveless dress and without a headscarf —several things that are prohibited for women in Iran.
Amnesty International urges the international community not to limit itself to geopolitical deals, but to prioritize the rights of the people in Iran and consistently press for respect for human rights. This includes supporting independent investigations into human rights violations, pressing for a moratorium on the death penalty, securing the release of political prisoners, and protecting civil society and freedom of expression.
“Only then is there a realistic chance that the situation for people in Iran will actually improve,” says Beat Gerber. “Freedom cannot be bombed into existence—it must be secured through rights, the rule of law, and the protection of the civilian population.”
