NZ suspends bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Iran
New Zealand is suspending its bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Iran as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announce New Zealand's response to anti-regime protests crackdown in Iran.
The two countries first established dialogue in 2018 to discuss human rights concerns. The first session was held in 2021 and the next was due to take place later this year.
But foreign affairs minister Nanaia Mahuta said bilateral approaches on human rights are no longer tenable when Iran is denying basic human rights and violently suppressing protests.
There have been widespread protests in Iran for weeks, in response to the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being arrested for violating the country's dress code.
The government had so far been quiet on the issue - with recent news of two New Zealanders, Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray arriving safely in New Zealand after having their movements restricted by Iranian authorities.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had said the government worked hard over the past several months to ensure the safe exit of the two social media influencers from Iran.
Ardern said Thackwray and Richwhite were released by hard work from embassy staff.
rdern has previously said she had been speaking out vehemently in support of Iranian women.
"Since the beginning of [October], I have been absolutely consistent on our deep concern around people's, firstly, ability to exercise their own religious freedoms in the way that they choose, be it women and girls in Iran or women and girls in Afghanistan, where we've also been very clear.
"Also, at the beginning of the month — it was not widely reported — but we called in, at my request, the ambassador of Iran to explain and share directly our deep concerns over what we were observing," Ardern said.
Ardern has also signed an international letter calling for Iran to be removed from a UN women's rights body.
The letter called for Iran to be removed from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
The letter was co-authored by Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Malala Yousafzai.
Ardern said further advice has been requested by the Government on what other actions it could take to display its condemnation of Iran
Last week Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said there was no longer anything stopping the government taking stronger action.
Ghahraman wanted a freeze on the assets, bank accounts and travel of people supporting violence in Iran.
New Zealand is suspending its bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Iran as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announce New Zealand's response to anti-regime protests crackdown in Iran.
The two countries first established dialogue in 2018 to discuss human rights...
New Zealand is suspending its bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Iran as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announce New Zealand's response to anti-regime protests crackdown in Iran.
The two countries first established dialogue in 2018 to discuss human rights concerns. The first session was held in 2021 and the next was due to take place later this year.
But foreign affairs minister Nanaia Mahuta said bilateral approaches on human rights are no longer tenable when Iran is denying basic human rights and violently suppressing protests.
There have been widespread protests in Iran for weeks, in response to the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being arrested for violating the country's dress code.
The government had so far been quiet on the issue - with recent news of two New Zealanders, Topher Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray arriving safely in New Zealand after having their movements restricted by Iranian authorities.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had said the government worked hard over the past several months to ensure the safe exit of the two social media influencers from Iran.
Ardern said Thackwray and Richwhite were released by hard work from embassy staff.
rdern has previously said she had been speaking out vehemently in support of Iranian women.
"Since the beginning of [October], I have been absolutely consistent on our deep concern around people's, firstly, ability to exercise their own religious freedoms in the way that they choose, be it women and girls in Iran or women and girls in Afghanistan, where we've also been very clear.
"Also, at the beginning of the month — it was not widely reported — but we called in, at my request, the ambassador of Iran to explain and share directly our deep concerns over what we were observing," Ardern said.
Ardern has also signed an international letter calling for Iran to be removed from a UN women's rights body.
The letter called for Iran to be removed from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
The letter was co-authored by Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Malala Yousafzai.
Ardern said further advice has been requested by the Government on what other actions it could take to display its condemnation of Iran
Last week Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said there was no longer anything stopping the government taking stronger action.
Ghahraman wanted a freeze on the assets, bank accounts and travel of people supporting violence in Iran.
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