ODVV Statement on Imposing Restrictions on the Scientific Advancements of Iran

For example in the world trade laws, super computers that are more powerful than 190 billion actions per second are deemed as strategic goods (and have the potential for simulated nuclear calculations use), and therefore the sales of these super PCs are included in the sanctions against countries such as Iran.
In another instance, the possibility of receiving software files from companies such as Adobe, AMD, NVIDIA, MATLAB, McAfee, Symantec and some Google, Microsoft, ESET and oracle services are not accessible by IP addresses in Iran, and as well as the blocking of the websites by these companies in Iran, some of these technological companies have shut their main servers on Iranians. Also some of these companies have blocked hosting and domain services to the Iranian people as part of other sanctions.
After the recent nuclear agreement between the 5 plus 1 powers and Iran, it seemed that Iran’s international relations would begin to improve, but just as with this agreement which some countries have been trying to sabotage, what this time is taking place is the continuation of the past sanctions policies which smell of hatred towards Iran – new sanctions on the pretext of the launching of the Seemorgh satellite and Iran’s space advancements.
The sanctions of companies and industries related to Iran’s air industry also shows the decision and position of the Americans, who want to block any scientific activities which could increase the national strength of Iranians.

As a nongovernmental organization active at the international level we believe that such sanctions are grave violations of Iranian people’s human rights, particularly the right to development. The importance of the right to development which the UN General Assembly in 1986 defined in its declaration is: “The right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.”

According to article 3(1) of the Declaration: “States have the primary responsibility for the creation of national and international conditions favourable to the realization of the right to development.”

Paragraph 2 of the same Article states: “The realization of the right to development requires full respect for the principles of international law concerning friendly relations and co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.”

The ODVV deems the imposing of various sanctions on the pretext of the activities of the Iranian air industry blatant violation of the right to development, and sees it necessary for all government officials, nongovernmental organizations and particularly the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development to react to this and prevent the reoccurrence of this sort of behaviour towards other countries.