Iranian airstrikes on Israel on October 1, 2024 by Hanay. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A specter haunts Iran: the threat of full-fledged war with Israelsparking fears of devastation recalling Gaza and Lebanon. As tensions escalate, millions of Iranians are at risk of serious harm, directly or indirectly. Yet, surprisingly, even though the majority of Iranian human rights and civil society organizations are based outside the country, particularly in the West, due to the Islamic Republic’s brutal repression, the majority remained silent, offering no statements, analysis or even discussion on the escalation of the conflict.

To explore the reasons for this silence, Global Voices interviewed veteran human rights activists who provided insight into the complex factors at play.

Decades of work

Iranian human rights organizations in exile have spent decades raising awareness awareness on political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, documenting human rights violations and campaigning against state-sanctioned executions and discrimination affecting women, minorities and journalists. They also have collaborated closely with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Civil society groups still present in Iran, such as the Iranian Bar Association, face enormous pressure and restrictions. Authorities in the Islamic Republic even shut down the charity Imam Ali’s Popular Student Relief Society, which worked to combat poverty and help vulnerable children. Aauthorities have also imprisoned prominent activists, such as the Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi who was recently hospitalized with serious health problems.

Mohammadi, who believes in need for regime change in Iranrecently issued an anti-war statement message: “All those responsible for war are not only condemned by the peoples of the lands and times they devastate, but they are also forever dishonored and ostracized in the annals of human history. »

Funding is important

But despite these efforts, some Iranian activists and citizens having expressed growing concerns about transparency and dependence on funding. These critiques suggest that some organizations abroad may prioritize certain issues over others due to the influence of funding sources, thereby risking the appearance that they are operating within a discriminatory framework. which fluctuates according to donor agendas.

Nazila Golestan, Media producer based in France and the spokesperson for human rights and political organization HamAva, told Global Voices via WhatsApp that “Funding sources strongly influence organizational positions, often compromising their supposed neutrality. »

Having worked with human rights organizations in Iran and France, she observed that certain groups“Silence on the war reflects a reluctance to alienate donors. Golestan dispute that “The mission of any genuine human rights organization should include the promotion of peace and diplomacy, because conflicts affect civilians first and foremost.

Matt Forouzandy, an Iranian-Canadian queer activist and interdisciplinary artist, agrees. “Funding sources and associated political agendas are instrumental in shaping the positions of these organizations, often resulting in actions aligned with donor expectations rather than a real commitment to human rights,” he said. told Global Voices.

Forouzandy, who is one of the voices of the LGBTQ+ community exiled in Iran, adds that “these trends are increasingly disillusioning Iranian civil society and activists. He advocates for new, grassroots-focused models to circumvent current challenges and foster more effective defense of human rights.

Silence in the face of escalating conflict

The current silence of human rights groups is particularly remarkable given the humanitarian challenges. While the reason for being of these organizations is to urge the Iranian state to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rightsa large-scale conflict between Iran and Israel could jeopardize the fundamental rights of the Iranian people, including the right to life, the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to education.

This is evident from the continuing violence in Gaza, where UNICEF reports that “it is estimated that approximately 9 out of 10 Gazans have been internally displaced. Half of them are children. They do not have sufficient access to water, food, fuel and medicine. Apparently Thousands of children have been killed or injured so far in the conflict.

Furthermore, the war in Lebanon also highlights the profound impacts of these conflicts on civilian populations, where, according to According to UNICEF, “the conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of children and their families.”

Alienation risk

Kamran ashtrayartist and executive director of the association based in the Netherlands Arseh Sevom NGO that focuses on civil society in Iran warns in email to Global Voices that “organizations risk alienating the very communities they aim to represent if they selectively address human rights violations.”

He maintains that “Failing to advocate for peace could give the impression that these organizations are more aligned with external agendas than with the real concerns of the Iranian people. Such selectivity could harm the credibility of these groups, both in Iran and on the world stage. »

According to Ashtary“a balanced approach that condemns the Iranian regime’s internal abuses while opposing escalations that threaten civilians would preserve both independence and credibility.”

When these activists talk about funds, the risk of alienating the Iranian people and satisfying donors, what is at stake is a huge financing economy largely supported by the US State Department, which dedicated million dollars to Iranian civil society initiatives, including approximately $30 million initially earmarked for civil society support.

This financing structure has expanded considerablyfinancial support from the US State Department just for VPN (anti-filtering) tools increasing from $5 million in 2019 to over $30 million in 2024.

A pivotal moment

The silence haunts Iranian human rights organizations regarding this looming conflict and raises crucial questions about their priorities, independence and future direction.

As tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, human rights organizations face a pivotal moment that calls for reflection on whether neutrality corresponds to their core mission.

This crisis offers an opportunity to reassess their goals and strategies, echoing a reminder from the German theologian Dietrich Bonhofer who fought against silence and the Nazi regime and sacrificed his life: “Silence in the face of evil is in itself evil… Not to act is to act. How these organizations respond could ultimately shape the future of human rights advocacy in Iran and the wider region.