What Would You Ask Rouhani and Zarif If You Could?

Next week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will participate in the 72nd  session of the UN General Assembly. Speeches by world leaders are scheduled to start on September 18. As with other years, Rouhani and Zarif will host news conferences and answer questions from the press.  

Aida Ghajar asked Mahmoud Amiry Moghadam, spokesman for the Iran Human Rights organization, what questions he would ask Rouhani and Zarif if he were given the chance. 

This is the first in IranWire’s series on what people would like to ask Rouhani and Zarif at the UN General Assembly — and how the two statesmen would be likely to respond.

by Aida Ghajar

The number of people arrested in Iran for expressing oppositional views or charged with acting against national security is high. Authorities quickly arrest people participating in peaceful gatherings or protests. Yet Iranian law permits peaceful gatherings and freedom of expression. So why are such charges brought against them?

In our country nobody is in prison for expressing his opinion. These people have broken the law.

Are protests against acid attacks or rallies by workers or teachers against the law?

If people threaten our national security, we must take action.

Since Rouhani became president the number of executions in Iran has increased. Why are so many people are executed on drug-related charges?

The volume of drugs confiscated in Iran is 80 percent higher than the world average. Did you ever consider that we have lost several thousand people in the fight against drugs? Iran suffers from the highest level of drug trafficking.

In recent years high-level Iranian officials have conceded that the executions have not succeeded in preventing or reducing drug trafficking. A national police official has even said that those executed are not the bosses. Then why every year hundreds of people are executed on drug-related charges?

Drug trafficking is a real problem in Iran. We cannot be seen to be complacent. In other countries where drug trafficking is an ongoing problem, governments respond with harsh penalties. 

Aida Ghajar originally interviewed Mahmoud Amiry Moghadam in 2016. 

Also read: A Revolution of Dignity, which includes further discussion with Mahmoud Amiry Moghadam about the death penalty in Iran.