Declaration of the “Right to Life” Covenant
The "Right to Life Covenant" is based on the presumption of "the right to have rights" and, as the most important right of the citizens has been signed by a group of pro-democracy Iranian political organizations. These organizations present this Covenant to the people of Iran to serve as a fundamental general agreement during the period of the struggle against the theocratic regime, during the transition and the period thereafter.
The fundamental principles of the covenant are:
- The right to have a right, regardless of political beliefs, religious orientation, sexual orientation, ideological beliefs, and ethnic affiliation;
- Absolute prohibition of execution;
- Absolute prohibition of physical and mental torture;
- Commitment to a fair, transparent and compensable judicial procedure, without any exception.
The signatories of this covenant:
pledge:
- To consider all human beings as having rights and not to put any human being outside the realm of these rights due to their political orientation, gender, ideology and ethnic affiliation.
- Not to consider any human being as deserving the punishment of death penalty and deprivation of the right to life and fight against this punishment. No human being, even if he/she is found to be guilty, should be deprived of the right to life, irrespective of their nationality, sexual, religious and political orientation or of any conduct record.
- To consider physical and mental torture unjustified and prohibited and confessions under torture as invalid.
- To be committed to judicial procedure, not to use political and ideological difference as an excuse for accusation, and not to trample upon the equal rights deserved by everyone for their personal or group interests.
- To stay committed to this covenant wherever they are, within or without the borders of Iran and whatever their political position, whether they are pro or against the ruling force, until such time that they have explicitly and publicly withdrawn their signature from this covenant.
Signing of this covenant means agreeing to the principle of the right to enjoy right, enjoy physical and mental immunity for all and respect for human dignity as a human being, principles which serve as the fundamental precepts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its covenants.
Union for Secular Republic and Human Rights in Iran
August 1, 2023