In human rights discussions and numerous sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, certain associations based in Iran, along with representatives of the Iranian government, attempt to suggest that the root of Iranian society’s problems lies solely in the “sanctions” imposed by Western countries. They strive to create the illusion that the cause of all the challenges, suffering, and human rights violations faced by the Iranian people stems from external forces.
However, reports occasionally published in domestic Iranian media ironically reveal the true roots of the people’s problems and the violation of their basic rights. For instance, on November 27, the website Roydad 24 published an article with a headline that speaks volumes:
“Society on the verge of social, economic, and psychological collapse | Who is responsible for the wrong and ineffective governance over the past few decades?”
The article goes on to directly answer this question:
“Over the past few decades, mismanagement and ineffective governance have driven society to social, economic, and political collapse. The culprits of the current situation are none other than the decision-makers, implementers, and beneficiaries who have caused the growth of poverty, inflation, unemployment, migration, and more.”
The author, writing with apparent compassion and not opposition to the Iranian regime, sought solutions to society’s problems in the speeches of figures like Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament.
The article also highlights:
“These circumstances have paved the way for the spread of violence, crime, delinquency, addiction, and other social ills, creating a society that is angry, impatient, stubborn, uncooperative, distrustful, and, of course, politicized.”
The statistics shared in the article illustrate the dire situation faced by the Iranian people:
- “According to a survey released earlier this year, 60% of the population has expressed a desire to emigrate. This means that nearly 48 million Iranians wish to leave the country. For those who cannot afford to emigrate, turning to various physical and psychological substances has become a coping mechanism.”
- “Between 2019 and 2021, the purchase price of residential units in Tehran increased by more than 120%. In just two years, housing prices have doubled.”
This report also presents statistics regarding the mental health status of society, which are quite noteworthy:
- “The head of the Mental Health Office at the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education reported that 25.4% of the population over the age of 15 is at the onset of mental disorders. Additionally, 17% of the population suffers from mood disorders, and 14% suffers from anxiety disorders.”
The article concludes the outcome of various facts addressed to Qalibaf as follows:
“The country is on the edge of an abyss, where even the crushing of a grain of sand (literally slightest disturbance) could cause its collapse. What role do you, your associates, critics, and opponents play in preventing this collapse?”
This article represents only a fraction of the statistics and information published. By analyzing these figures, it becomes clear that the root of the Iranian people’s problems and the continuous violation of their basic rights lies in the policies, mismanagement, and pervasive corruption of the authorities. The widespread violations of human rights, including an unprecedented rise in poverty, inflation, unemployment, and the overwhelming desire to emigrate, have contributed to societal issues such as addiction and the psychological and social collapse of the population.
Of course, the shocking facts are not limited to this article. On November 23, the Dolat Bahar newspaper quoted Mohammad Sadeq Hassanvand, head of the Air Pollution Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as saying:
“Last year, around 50,000 deaths in the country were attributed to air pollution.”
Thus, it becomes clear that the root cause of the Iranian people’s problems lies in the policies implemented by the regime’s officials over these decades.
