UN Expert Criticizes Iran’s Use of Hostage-Taking as Diplomatic Leverage

On March 6, 2025, UN Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards condemned Iran’s use of hostage-taking for diplomatic leverage, noting at least 66 reported cases since 2010. She highlighted the psychological and physical abuses faced by detainees and urged stronger international action against state-sponsored hostage-taking, calling it an affront to human dignity.

On March 6, 2025, Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, issued a warning regarding the alarming trend of hostage-taking by state actors, identifying Iran as a prominent example. In her report to the Human Rights Council, she noted the existence of at least 66 cases of such detentions in Iran since 2010, targeting foreign and dual nationals under fabricated or exaggerated charges to exert diplomatic pressure.

Edwards highlighted that journalists, aid workers, academics, business travelers, and human rights advocates are at increased risk of becoming victims of these detentions. “Hostage-taking is cruelty – plain and simple – and almost always involves torture,” she emphasized, pointing towards the harsh conditions faced by those detained.

The report underlined that individuals held in Iran often endure severe psychological and physical abuse, including solitary confinement, starvation, mock executions, and sexual torture, resulting in lasting trauma. Edwards lamented, “Hostage-taking is an affront to human dignity,” stressing that detainees often suffer ill-treatment to gain more favorable terms from foreign governments.

Edwards classified Iran alongside countries like China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, the UAE, and Venezuela in terms of politically motivated arrests. She urged for stricter laws, accountability, and international action, advocating for measures such as universal jurisdiction, targeted sanctions, and investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to deter such acts. “We cannot allow hostage-taking to become an accepted tool of diplomacy or warfare. The time to act is now,” she asserted.

Furthermore, Edwards called upon the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative dedicated to hostage-taking matters and recommended that governments designate senior liaison officers to keep affected families informed about efforts to facilitate their loved ones’ release.

The report by Alice Jill Edwards sheds light on the serious issue of state-sponsored hostage-taking in Iran, emphasizing the need for robust international action against this inhumane practice. Her findings highlight the severe human rights violations inflicted upon detainees and call for global accountability and policy changes to mitigate the use of hostage-taking as a diplomatic tool. The urgent measures proposed aim to protect vulnerable individuals and reaffirm human dignity in the face of coercive state practices.

Original Source: www.ncr-iran.org