Minority rights central to Iran’s transition, says Sabetan
Farhad Sabetan, a lecturer in economics at California State University, told a conference on “Justice in Transition: Challenges and Solutions” in Oslo that safeguarding minority rights must be a cornerstone of any post-authoritarian settlement in Iran.
The two-day meeting, organised by Iran Human Rights on 2–3 September 2023, gathered researchers and activists to discuss how the country might navigate a transition from repression to democracy. In his remarks, Sabetan argued that while minority rights are part of the wider framework of citizenship, they carry particular weight in Iran, where religious and ideological minorities have long been victims of systematic discrimination and violence.
He recalled that members of these communities have faced executions, economic exclusion, confiscation of property and denial of education. “More than 200 Bahá’ís have been executed since the revolution,” he noted, adding that Christians, dervishes and non-believers had also been targeted. Such practices, he said, amounted to a form of “slow death” imposed by the state.
Sabetan drew on international scholarship to underline that transitional justice is not only about punishing perpetrators but also about preventing repetition. Citing Chris Chapman of the International Center for Transitional Justice, he outlined four core areas: the right to life, the right to non-discrimination, the right to preserve identity and the right to participate in collective decision-making. In each of these, he said, Iran has fallen short.
On the right to life, Sabetan warned that minorities continue to face both direct and indirect threats, from executions to economic strangulation. On non-discrimination, he pointed to official policies that divide society into “believers and infidels” or “insiders and outsiders”, embedding inequality in law and practice. On identity, he argued that persistent denial of cultural and religious expression fuels “fear of the other” and legitimises violence. Finally, on participation, he stressed that minorities must be represented in political and social decision-making if democracy is to take root.
Turning to remedies, Sabetan said that acknowledgement of past wrongs is essential. Documentation of abuses and public recognition of injustice, he argued, are the first steps towards reconciliation. He called for compensation, whether financial or through restored opportunities in education and employment, to help marginalised groups regain their place in society. He also urged the passage of anti-discrimination laws and the inclusion of minorities in institutions of governance.
Cultural change, he added, is as important as legal reform. “A durable transition requires nurturing a culture of pluralism,” he said. Encouraging minority voices in public debate, promoting artistic and cultural diversity and fostering tolerance, he argued, would help prevent the re-emergence of old patterns of exclusion.
Sabetan concluded that without explicit guarantees for minorities, Iran’s democratic transition will remain fragile. “Minority rights are not a subset of general citizenship,” he said, “but a foundation for justice and a safeguard for lasting democracy.
Translated from Farsi via machine translation and lightly edited for clarity.