Human rights: New Zealand suspends dialogue with Iran 

New Zealand has suspended its official bilateral human rights dialogue with Iran citing the violent suppression of protests in the country.

According to a statement by New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta, the decision to suspend the dialogue sends a strong signal that bilateral approaches on human rights were not tenable.

It added that Iran is denying basic human rights by violently suppressing protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the morality police for attire deemed inappropriate.

“Violence against women, girls, or any other members of Iranian society to prevent their exercise of universal human rights is unacceptable and must end. This is clearly a difficult time for the people of Iran,” Mahuta said.

New Zealand and Iran established the dialogue in 2018 with the stated hope of advancing human rights issues and concerns.

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The first round of talks was held in 2021, with the next one scheduled to take place later in 2022.

New Zealand officials last week confirmed that two New Zealanders who had been detained in Iran for a number of months had been released and were safe.

The New Zealand government also last Wednesday updated its travel warnings for Iran and urged New Zealanders currently there to leave.

Zainab Sa’id