Basic HTML Version
Summer 2017
DEFENDERS
2
T
oday’s world is faced with a huge volume of human rights violations in different
corners, more than ever; and this has not only caused concern and insecurity for
human rights activists, but also for all the people of the world.
Grave violations of human rights, wars and conflicts, killing of children, women and
civilians, terror attacks are all some of these events. The spread of such violence has
the world faced with various crises including the current migrant crisis, unprecedented
since the end of the Second World War. Dealing with the crisis and human rights
violations as a result of the confrontation of different countries with the crisis is
reviewed in an article in this edition of Defenders.
One of the main objectives of international organizations, alongside peace, is promotion
of human rights. International courts and tribunals are human rights organizations
other than the UN Human Rights Council who have a lot of capacities and enforcing
guarantees to investigate human rights violation cases while they are lesser known
among NGOs and human rights activists. . With this in mind one article in this edition
is allocated to the capacities of international courts in investigating human rights
violations.
Also peace and human rights in today’s world, while have continuously been under
attack and violation, have had effects on several other areas including tourism and
cultural heritage.. In this edition the effects of tourism and peace are discussed in
another article alongside some references to the Iranian cultural and natural heritage.
Furthermore, the use of conventional and unconventional weapons in wars and
conflicts is another of the endless concerns of human rights defenders, which is raised
in the form of an article on the use of weapons and violation of human rights in this
edition of Defenders.
While many countries, organizations and individuals are trying to reduce human rights
violations and the spread of violence, unfortunately some states help the spread of
violence. This edition has two articles on the practice of the Saudi Arabian government
in this regard in the form of presentation of human rights data and references to
international law.
Describing human rights violations in regions with ahigh concentration of violence
provide a picture of war and conflict, therefore, in this edition there is a report and
review of the human rights violation cases of some countries in the form of UPR
mechanism reports.
Developments in Iran have always been one of the focal points of Defenders. The review
of the Citizen’s Rights Charter of Iran is presented in the form of an interview with one
of the renowned law experts. Also a report of ODVV’s activities, as an organization
that continually aspires to promote human rights are included in this edition.
This edition, is the first Defenders with a new format. We have tried to collect the views
of experts with a concentration of human rights developments and violation cases in
all corners of the world, in the form of scientific articles, interviews, and news reviews.
We hope these measures are steps – however small – towards the promotion of human
rights and on this path welcome the assistance of our colleagues.
Editor’s Note