Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam is the founder of the Iran Human Rights Organization; the main focus of this organization is on the issue of fighting executions.
In an interview held on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Human Rights Activists (HRA), Mr. Amiry-Moghaddam emphasized that “in a country like Iran, discrimination exists across all social classes,” and told Peace Mark: “HRA publishes all cases of human rights violations without discrimination and regardless of who the individuals are or which political, ideological, religious, or gender group they belong to. In fact, any group within Iranian society can find news related to themselves among HRANA’s reports.”
He mentioned “having a sort of organized structure and not representing any specific ideology or political orientation” as one of the most important reasons for the endurance and continued activity of HRA.
How would you describe HRA, and if there is one positive characteristic of this group’s work that you would highlight, what would it be?
One can say that HRA has the highest volume of news production on human rights violations among Iranian groups, and this news production is a great help in raising awareness and also for all those who follow these issues. Of course, I mostly follow HRA in terms of news, but I know that they are active in other areas as well.
Another positive point is that the organization indeed publishes all cases of human rights violations without discrimination and without regard to who the individuals are or which political, ideological, religious, or gender group they belong to. In fact, any group in Iranian society can find news about themselves among HRANA’s reports. Such an approach, considering the conditions in a country like Iran where discrimination exists in all layers of society, is extremely valuable. This kind of discrimination is most apparent in the ruling system, but it also exists in other forms within society and even within civil society itself, and this is reflected even in news reporting. I think this anti-discrimination approach is perhaps one of HRA’s most important features.
From your perspective, what is a constructive distinction that contributes to the longevity and sustainability of a human rights organization? Specifically, what unique trait can you identify in HRA in this regard?
I think that civil society in Iran, in its organized form both inside and outside the country, is still a relatively new phenomenon. HRA is one of the groups that has significant resources inside Iran and has continued its activities abroad as well. It is also one of the oldest organizations working in this field. I can guess that one of the reasons is having a coherent organizational structure and not representing any specific ideology or political orientation.
One of the reasons that groups are unable to survive in Iran is likely internal disagreements. Although most individuals who engage in this kind of work do so out of genuine concern for human rights, personal issues often lead to reduced activity or the disbanding of groups. This is in contrast to when activities are structured around a human rights ideal—such an approach can attract more people, and even if the current members pursue other work in the future, new individuals can come in and take their place. The ability to bring in new members and not depend on one or a few specific individuals is a trait of a group that can be sustainable.
As I mentioned, considering that our civil society is young, ten years of sustained activity—especially for a group that has operated under pressure and repression inside the country—is a long time, and they should be congratulated for it.
Mr. Amiry-Moghaddam, if you had a message for the colleagues and companions of this group over the past decade, what would it be?
I would sincerely like to say well done. All those who work to defend human rights sometimes face difficult paths, criticism, and pressure—but just as you’ve persisted so far, keep going. What you are doing is extremely valuable, and there is a strong need for it, and we all benefit from your work. Of course, most of all, it’s the people whose rights are violated for whom the work of HRA and human rights organizations is significant. But for everyone who cares about human rights, these activities are very important.
And finally, I would like to say that I hope human rights violations decrease so that, as a result, your workload also decreases—but for as long as violations exist, continue your work with energy and commitment.
