IRAN - Tell UNODC to put their opposition to the Iranian regime hangings on their own website.

UNODC, the United Nations Office for Drugs Control are responsible for enforcing drugs control across borders, including the Iran/Afghanistan and Iran/Pakistan borders.  Using EU and other sponsor funding, UNODC provide cash and technical assistance to Iranian Government border control forces to intercept heroin precursor smuggling.

Passing through the UN mandate that the UN and by association, UNODC, will not support countries who use the death penalty with funding or anything else.  They have stated it publicly.

The policy states:

It is the official position of a range of United Nations organisations that capital punishment for drug offences represents a grave breach of human rights and is illegal under international law. The death penalty for drug offences is actively opposed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP),  and in March 2015 the UNDP publically stated that “the death penalty for drug-related crimes is a violation of international law”.

https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/DrugProblem/Reprieve.pdf

The Iranian regime hang around 600 people per year to maximise repression of their population.  Around two thirds of the hangings, whether evidenced or not, are blamed on assorted ‘drugs crimes’.  The regime has said that the hangings are an important part of controlling the drugs problem, and if this was relaxed drug smuggling will increase.  It is notable that the rate of drug interdiction in Iran is very low.  Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed has said that the regime is claiming that UNODC supports their actions.

But there is no evidence whatsoever of the policy on the UNODC website, as even UNODC themselves have found.   Further where policies can be found, they are on other organisation sites such as Reprieve.

We have pressed UNODC hard to add this policy, with a clear link from their website homepage.  They have said they will look into this, and now we need your help to step up the pressure.

Can we ask if you will write to UNODC CEO Yuri Fedotov and ask him to ensure this policy to the site.  We have suggested a letter on the next page.  For best effect it should be posted.

Thank you for all you do.

Chris Clark

Link for Freedom