Əlirza Quluncu (Alirza Quluncu) - December 14, 2018
 |
| Lawyer Mehri Jafari |
In a recent forum held by the United Nations on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, the role of parliaments in promoting these principles was evaluated. Lawyer Mehri Jafari, who raised the issue of the lack of representation of ethnic minorities in Iran’s parliament, spoke to VOA (Voice of America) about this matter.
Jafari attended the UN forum as a representative of AHRAZ, a society that prepares reports on human rights violations in Iranian Azerbaijan.According to her, one of the goals of this forum is to foster cooperation among parliaments from different countries in the correct implementation of international laws.
Based in London, the lawyer underscores the importance of the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in such forums.
“NGOs play a very significant role. Representatives from countries that we know are undemocratic come here and speak. Those listening to them might think these representatives are genuinely speaking on behalf of their nations. NGOs attend these events to clarify that this is not the case.”
“In these forums, it should be considered what a parliament really means,” says Mehri Jafari, emphasizing that genuine parliaments do not exist in countries like the Islamic Republic of Iran, where there are no democratic elections.
The human rights advocate states, “In my speech there, I presented the situation of ethnic minorities as an example. But, of course, this does not cover the entire issue. From any perspective, a representative can guide the implementation of international laws only if they are a legitimate parliamentary representative. When you look at the standards, you should be able to say that this is a parliament. Iran did not participate in this forum, but, for example, a Syrian representative spoke several times.”
She adds, “So, first, a system should be created to put pressure on those countries. It’s true that these forums don’t have the power to impose pressure on countries, but it is essential to discuss the issue.”
Jafari believes that in the parliaments of countries like the Islamic Republic of Iran, minorities and women, in particular, cannot be represented in politics.
“When it comes to the majority and minority, the dynamics are different. Speaking of women, for example, while it’s true that the elections are undemocratic for everyone, including men, women’s issues are not even addressed in parliament. Because there is no female perspective in the system... When a few women do go, they still promote a male viewpoint. This is because the system is based on a male perspective. The situation for ethnic groups is similar to that of women,” Mehri Jafari added.