News

(11 April 2012) Today the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran released a short video and accompanying letter-writing campaign featuring the viewpoints of eight prominent Iranians on the domestic consequences of a potential attack on Iran. These views are drawn from a 38-page report, Raising Their Voices: Iranian Civil Society Reflections on the Military Option, based on interviews with 35 leading and influential Iranian civil society activists, lawyers, intellectuals, and artistic and cultural figures, all of whom live in Iran.

“With the drumbeats of war increasing every day, policy makers should take note of this often ignored but important consequence of a military action against Iran,” said Hadi Ghaemi, spokesperson for the Campaign.

The interviewees unanimously expressed their grave concern that a military conflict would exacerbate the human rights situation and provide a pretext for the full militarization of the Iranian state, all the while increasing civil and political repression. In the words of currently imprisoned lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh, “If a war were to take place right now, the atmosphere would definitely become more restrictive, and more limitations would be imposed on intellectuals, human rights activists, social actors and students.”