2025
2025

ALL EYES ON IRAN

Land Of The Eight Sun
Land Of The Eight Sun
Children's statement
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Environmental Statement
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Disability Statement
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Our Core Value / Our Foundation

.1 Poverty alleviation and sustainable development at the international level. 2. Management Crisis in natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and infectious diseases. 3. Distribution of baskets of goods for needy families. 4. Providing cultural and educational services to children and teenagers.

Abshar Atefeh was established in the November 2001 with registration number 2310 and national license number 1/8/83/156887. From the very beginning of its activity, this charity has been trying to provide the ground for serving the deprived people of society as much as possible by proposing expert views and expert reviews and a ...

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Support process
Education
Reducing educational barriers and identifying students talents
Medical Services
Cooperation of 22000 doctors with the foundation
Poverty Elimination
About 900/000 people are supported by this charity and use the services of this complex
Liam
Nice job really
Elisa
Nice people really, thanks
Henry
Charity law within the UK varies among England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but the fundamental principles are the same. Thank you really
Elena
Great service thank you guys
Arlo
So helpful thanks
Claire
Thank you for your help
Children\'s statement
Children's statement

Negative Impact of Illegal Unilateral Sanctions on the Fundamental Rights of Children

Introduction

Children are entitled to special protection under international human rights law due to their physical, mental, emotional, and social vulnerability. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) affirms that every child, without discrimination of any kind, has the right to survival, development, health, education, and an adequate standard of living (CRC, Articles 2, 6, 24, 27, and 28). States are required to take all appropriate legislative, administrative, and other measures to ensure the realization of these rights, including through international cooperation.

Despite these obligations, the rights of millions of children worldwide are adversely affected by unilateral Coercive measures (UCMs) imposed outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council. The Human Rights Council and multiple UN Special Procedures have repeatedly emphasized that unilateral coercive measures are contrary to international law and have severe humanitarian consequences. Children, as one of the most vulnerable groups in any society, bear a disproportionate share of the long-term and often irreversible harm caused by such measures.

Unilateral sanctions disrupt essential systems that children depend on for their development and wellbeing, including healthcare, education, food security, social protection, and safe living environments. The indirect and cumulative effects of UCMs undermine the core principles of the CRC, particularly the obligation to treat the best interests of the child as a primary consideration in all actions concerning children (CRC, Article 3).

Negative Impacts of Unilateral Sanctions on the Rights of Children

  1. Violation of the Right to Health and Survival

The right of the child to the highest attainable standard of health is enshrined in Article 24 of the CRC. Unilateral sanctions frequently restrict access to essential medicines, vaccines, medical equipment, and healthcare infrastructure through trade barriers, financial restrictions, and overcompliance by suppliers and banks.

The Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures has documented how sanctions impair national health systems, leading to shortages of medicines, delays in vaccination programs, and reduced access to maternal and child healthcare. These impacts directly threaten child survival, increase preventable morbidity and mortality, and undermine States’ obligations under Articles 6 and 24 of the CRC.

  1. Disruption of Education and Child Development

Education is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of children’s personal and social development (CRC, Articles 28 and 29). Unilateral sanctions undermine education systems by restricting access to educational materials, digital technologies, infrastructure development, and international cooperation in education.

Economic constraints caused by sanctions often force governments to reduce public spending on education, resulting in overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school infrastructure, and reduced access to inclusive and quality education. Children from marginalized backgrounds are particularly affected, increasing the risk of school dropout, child labor, and long-term social exclusion.

The Special Rapporteur on the right to education has warned that economic coercive measures can reverse decades of progress in educational access and quality, with lasting consequences for children’s futures.

  1. Threats to an Adequate Standard of Living and Nutrition

Article 27 of the CRC recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Unilateral sanctions often contribute to inflation, currency devaluation, unemployment, and reduced household income, making basic necessities such as food, clean water, and housing less accessible and less affordable.

The Human Rights Council has acknowledged in multiple resolutions that unilateral coercive measures disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable segments of society, including children. Malnutrition, food insecurity, and inadequate housing have long-term and sometimes irreversible effects on children’s physical growth, cognitive development, and overall wellbeing.

  1. Erosion of Social Protection and Child Welfare Systems

Children rely heavily on functioning public institutions and social protection systems. Sanctions-related economic pressure frequently leads to reduced public investment in child welfare services, including social assistance programs, child protection mechanisms, disability and psychosocial support services, and early childhood development initiatives.

The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights has emphasized that austerity measures and economic shocks resulting from sanctions undermine States’ ability to protect children from neglect, exploitation, and abuse. Weakening these systems increases children’s exposure to harmful coping mechanisms, including child labor and early marriage.

  1. Psychosocial Harm and Loss of a Safe and Nurturing Environment

Children’s right to grow up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment is implicit throughout the CRC. Unilateral sanctions create conditions of prolonged uncertainty, stress, and social instability that negatively affect children’s mental health and emotional development.

Disrupted services, parental unemployment, reduced access to community support, and increased household stress contribute to anxiety, depression, and trauma among children. The Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures has noted that the psychosocial consequences of sanctions are often underestimated, despite their profound and lasting impact on children’s wellbeing and social integration.

Recommendations

In light of these concerns, and Irrespective of our position that all unilateral sanctions are, as such, unlawful, the following recommendations are submitted to Member States of the Human Rights Council and relevant UN human rights mechanisms:

  1. Ensure the Primacy of the Best Interests of the Child
    All sanctions-related policies must explicitly incorporate the principle of the best interests of the child, in accordance with Article 3 of the CRC, and must not result in foreseeable harm to children’s rights.
  2. Protect Child-Specific Services and Essential Goods
    Sanctions regimes must include effective and enforceable exemptions for child-related goods and services, including medicines, vaccines, nutrition programs, educational materials, and child protection services.
  3. Strengthen International Cooperation
    In line with Articles 4 and 28 of the CRC, States should enhance international cooperation to support education, health, and social protection systems affected by sanctions.
  4. Enhance Monitoring and Accountability
    The Human Rights Council and its Special Procedures should continue to document, report, and address the impact of unilateral sanctions on children’s rights and reaffirm their incompatibility with international human rights law.

 

Conclusion

Unilateral sanctions, when imposed outside the framework of international law, undermine the fundamental rights of children and violate the core principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. No political or economic objective can justify measures that compromise children’s health, education, development, and dignity. A human rights–based approach requires that the protection of children remain a non-negotiable priority in all international policies and actions.

 

Environmental Statement
Environmental Statement

 

Impact of Unilateral Illegal Sanctions on the Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment

Introduction

The right to a healthy and sustainable environment has increasingly been recognized as a fundamental human right by international human rights mechanisms and a prerequisite for the realization of a wide range of other human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, and an adequate standard of living. The Human Rights Council has reaffirmed that environmental degradation and climate change constitute major threats to the enjoyment of human rights and that unilateral measures that undermine environmental protection can result in violations of States’ human rights obligations (Human Rights Council resolutions on human rights and the environment).

Despite this, unilateral coercive measures (UCMs)—often justified as political or security measures—can impede States’ capacity to protect and sustainably manage their environment. These sanctions frequently restrict access to essential technologies, financial resources, environmental cooperation, and international best practices necessary to mitigate pollution, conserve biodiversity, and adapt to climate change. The resulting ecological impacts can undermine the enjoyment of the right to a healthy environment, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Negative Impacts of Unilateral Sanctions on the Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment

  1. Restricted Access to Environmental Technology and Sustainable Practices

Unilateral sanctions commonly include financial restrictions and trade barriers that limit access to modern environmental technologies, equipment, and know-how essential for pollution control, environmental monitoring, renewable energy deployment, and sustainable resource management. Environmental law principles—such as the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the obligation to adopt sustainable development measures—are impeded when States cannot acquire advanced technologies or technical cooperation due to sanctions.

For example, sanctions on financial interactions with Iran have limited the country’s ability to access advanced technologies for air quality monitoring, fuel efficiency, and environmental data collection, contributing to persistent air pollution challenges in urban centers. This restriction on technology transfer undermines environmental governance and the capacity to implement internationally recognized environmental standards.

  1. Increased Pollution and Environmental Degradation

Environmental law recognizes the interdependence between environmental quality and human health. Sanctions that restrict access to cleaner technologies or the replacement of obsolete infrastructure can result in heightened pollution levels, with adverse effects on ecosystems and human wellbeing. In the context of Iran, analysts have noted that sanctions have contributed to prolonged reliance on older vehicles with inefficient fuel use, increased emissions, and worsened air quality, exacerbating respiratory illnesses and environmental health risks for the population.

The inability to modernize energy and transportation sectors due to financial and trade constraints can impede transitions to cleaner fuels and sustainable mobility, directly affecting the right to a healthy environment and associated rights to health and life.

  1. Blocked International Environmental Cooperation and Aid

Unilateral sanctions also limit participation in international environmental cooperation and access to environmental assistance programs. International environmental agreements and mechanisms often involve technology transfer, capacity-building, and financial support that help States address climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource management. When a country is cut off from international funding channels or discouraged from engaging with international partners due to fear of sanctions penalties, essential environmental programs can be delayed or abandoned.

For instance, restrictions on accessing international financial resources and partnerships have been cited by officials as obstacles for Iran in meeting its climate commitments and participating fully in multilateral environmental processes.

  1. Exacerbation of Environmental Crises Through Economic Pressure

Economic sanctions can lead to currency devaluation, limited public revenue, and redirected national priorities, which may reduce investment in environmental protection and sustainable infrastructure. This economic strain can compel States to rely more heavily on natural resource exploitation or environmentally harmful practices to maintain basic economic functions, thereby degrading ecosystems and biodiversity.

  1. Impediments to Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

The Paris Agreement and other international climate frameworks emphasize the need for technology transfer, climate finance, and cooperative action to address global climate challenges. Unilateral sanctions that sever access to international climate finance mechanisms, renewable energy technologies, and joint research opportunities impede States’ capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Iranian diplomats and representatives have highlighted that unilateral sanctions hinder renewable energy investment, limit access to environmentally sound technologies, and constrain joint environmental research, thereby negatively affecting efforts to combat climate change and its environmental consequences.

 


Conclusion

Unilateral illegal sanctions, as implemented in many contexts, present significant barriers to the realization of the human right to a healthy and sustainable environment. By restricting access to technology, cooperation, finance, and sustainable practices, such sanctions can perpetuate pollution, degrade ecosystems, and undermine States’ capacity to meet environmental obligations. Human rights and environmental governance are intrinsically linked; therefore, policies that impair environmental protection must be critically reassessed to align with international law and the shared goal of sustainable development for all.

We believe all UCMs are illegal and contrary to International Law. Also states must reassert their commitments under international human rights law and environmental agreements, ensuring that political measures do not compromise the integrity of environmental protection and sustainable development.

 

Disability Statement
Disability Statement

Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on Persons with Disabilities

 

Introduction

Persons with disabilities represent one of the largest and most diverse groups protected under international human rights law. According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide—approximately 15 per cent of the global population—live with some form of disability. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) affirms that persons with disabilities are entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, without discrimination of any kind (CRPD, Articles 1 and 5).

The CRPD further establishes States’ obligations to ensure access to healthcare (Article 25), habilitation and rehabilitation services (Article 26), accessibility (Article 9), education (Article 24), work and employment (Article 27), and an adequate standard of living and social protection (Article 28). These rights are interdependent and essential for enabling persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in society.

However, the realization of these rights is increasingly undermined by unilateral sanctions. The Human Rights Council and various UN Special Procedures have repeatedly expressed concern that unilateral coercive measures are incompatible with international law and have severe negative humanitarian and human rights consequences. While such sanctions are often justified as targeted measures, their extraterritorial and systemic effects disproportionately harm vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities.

Negative Impacts of Unilateral Sanctions on Persons with Disabilities

  1. Violation of the Right to Health and Rehabilitation

Article 25 of the CRPD obliges States to provide persons with disabilities with the same range, quality, and standard of healthcare as provided to others, including access to necessary medicines and services. Unilateral sanctions frequently restrict the importation of medicines, medical equipment, assistive devices, and spare parts, as well as access to international medical cooperation.

The Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures has consistently reported that sanctions impede access to essential medicines and medical technologies, even where humanitarian exemptions formally exist, due to overcompliance by banks and suppliers (A/HRC/45/7, paras. 52–58). These barriers directly undermine the right to health of persons with disabilities and contradict States’ obligations under the CRPD.

  1. Denial of Accessibility and Assistive Technologies

Accessibility is a core principle of the CRPD (Article 9). Persons with disabilities depend on assistive technologies and accessible infrastructure to exercise their rights on an equal basis with others. Sanctions that restrict access to technology transfer, software, technical expertise, and international supply chains severely limit the availability and maintenance of assistive devices.

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities has emphasized that denial of assistive technologies constitutes a form of indirect discrimination and reinforces exclusion (A/HRC/31/62). Sanctions-related restrictions exacerbate these barriers, particularly in low-resource and crisis-affected contexts.

  1. Economic Marginalization and Erosion of Social Protection

Article 28 of the CRPD recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living and social protection. Unilateral sanctions often lead to economic contraction, inflation, and reduced public revenues, resulting in weakened social protection systems and reduced disability-related benefits.

Human Rights Council resolutions on unilateral coercive measures have repeatedly acknowledged that such measures disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable segments of society (HRC resolutions 27/21, 34/13, and 46/5). For persons with disabilities, this economic marginalization deepens poverty, increases dependency, and undermines independent living.

  1. Undermining Inclusive Education and Employment

The CRPD guarantees inclusive education (Article 24) and the right to work and employment (Article 27). Sanctions that restrict access to educational materials, digital technologies, and international cooperation hinder the implementation of inclusive education systems. Budgetary constraints caused by sanctions may lead States to deprioritize reasonable accommodation, specialized support services, and vocational training for persons with disabilities.

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities has warned that austerity measures and resource constraints have a disproportionate and long-term impact on persons with disabilities, particularly in education and employment (A/73/161).

  1. Psychosocial Harm and Social Exclusion

Unilateral sanctions contribute to widespread insecurity, uncertainty, and social stress. Persons with disabilities, particularly those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, are especially vulnerable to the mental health consequences of service disruption, poverty, and social isolation.

The Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures has noted that sanctions can exacerbate psychosocial distress and undermine community support systems (A/76/70). These impacts directly contradict the CRPD’s emphasis on dignity, autonomy, and full participation in society.

 

Recommendations

In light of the above, the following recommendations are submitted to Member States of the Human Rights Council and to the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities:

  1. Ensure Full Compliance with the CRPD
    States must ensure that sanctions policies do not result in violations of CRPD obligations, particularly regarding health, accessibility, social protection, and non-discrimination.
  2. Adopt Effective and Enforceable Humanitarian Exemptions
    Irrespective of our position that all unilateral sanctions are, as such, unlawful, sanctions regimes must include clear, automatic, and operational exemptions for medicines, assistive technologies, rehabilitation services, and inclusive education resources, accompanied by binding safeguards against overcompliance.
  3. Strengthen International Accountability Mechanisms
    The Human Rights Council and its Special Procedures should continue to monitor, document, and report on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on persons with disabilities and reaffirm the incompatibility of such measures with international human rights law.

Conclusion

Unilateral sanctions, as currently applied, undermine the rights of persons with disabilities and are inconsistent with States’ obligations under the CRPD and broader international human rights law. A human rights–based approach requires that no political or economic measure be implemented at the expense of dignity, equality, and non-discrimination. Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities must remain a central consideration in all international policy decisions.

 

Service narrative
Service narrative

Special Report on the Activities of the Waterfall of Emotions International Charity Foundation in the Holy Mosque of Jamkaran

On the bright days of the middle of Shaban, coinciding with the auspicious birth anniversary of the Savior of the World, Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), the Waterfall of Emotions International Charity Foundation once again created a lasting scene of service, love, and faith with a magnificent and popular presence in the Holy Mosque of Jamkaran. The foundation served eager pilgrims for three to five days by organizing several active processions and displayed a manifestation of spiritual passion and sincere service with diverse cultural, social, and welfare programs.

گزارش ویژه از فعالیت‌های بنیاد بین‌المللی خیریه آبشار عاطفه‌ها در مسجد مقدس جمکران

در روزهای نورانی نیمه شعبان، همزمان با میلاد فرخنده منجی عالم بشریت، حضرت ولی‌عصر (عج)، بنیاد بین‌المللی خیریه آبشار عاطفه‌ها بار دیگر با حضوری پرشکوه و مردمی در مسجد مقدس جمکران، صحنه‌ای ماندگار از خدمت، عشق و ایمان را رقم زد. این بنیاد با برپایی چندین موکب فعال، به مدت سه تا پنج روز به زائران مشتاق خدمت‌رسانی کرد و با برنامه‌هایی متنوع فرهنگی، اجتماعی و رفاهی، جلوه‌ای از شور معنوی و خدمت خالصانه را به نمایش گذاشت.

 

Statement
Statement

Statement of Abshar Atefeha Charity Institute Regarding the Recent Unrest in I.R.Iran

January 2026

Introduction
This statement is submitted by a long-established, non-governmental and non-political charitable organization that has carried out continuous activities throughout the Islamic Republic of Iran for several decades. The organization operates approximately nine hundred offices and local branches nationwide and manages an extensive humanitarian network for the collection and distribution of charitable assistance to vulnerable individuals and families.
The organization’s activities are exclusively humanitarian in nature and include the provision of food assistance, basic household necessities, donated dowries, and emergency relief in times of crisis.

Nevertheless, during the recent period of widespread and violent unrest in various regions of Iran, several offices and branches of the organization were subjected to violent attacks. A number of these facilities were deliberately set on fire and completely destroyed. In other locations, office signs, doors, and windows were forcibly broken, and humanitarian and support items collected for needy families were looted and stolen. These acts directly deprived innocent civilians of access to essential assistance and caused significant material and operational damage to the organization’s capacity to deliver humanitarian services.

Concerns Regarding One-Sided Characterizations of the Events
This charity expresses serious concern regarding the predominantly one-dimensional portrayal of the events in Iran as consisting solely of peaceful gatherings. While the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are fully recognized under international human rights law, as well as under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the organization’s direct field experience indicates that the realities on the ground differed markedly from such characterizations.
In numerous instances, organized groups engaged in arson, looting, and violent attacks against public infrastructure, emergency services, and humanitarian institutions. Such actions cannot be characterized as peaceful protest. Within only a few days, they resulted in harm to civilians, destruction of public and charitable property, and the loss of the lives of many innocent individuals, including women, children, and bystanders.

We emphasize, based on verifiable evidence, that certain public statements and expressions of support for unrest in Iran by a number of foreign political leaders and government officials undoubtedly contributed to the escalation of violence and emboldened those engaged in destructive and criminal conduct. This occurred alongside explicit calls by separatist and terrorist groups operating outside Iran, creating an environment in which the long-standing objective of officials in the United States and Israel to inflict severe damage on the Islamic Republic of Iran was portrayed as attainable.

As a civil society organization, we firmly believe that all individuals must be afforded the opportunity to protest, express their views, and hold diverse political opinions. However, irrespective of political context or perspective, it is universally recognized that attacks on civilian and humanitarian facilities, as well as the killing and injuring of innocent civilians, constitute serious violations of international norms. We believe that the presence of trained and armed individuals who abruptly appeared within otherwise peaceful gatherings—using crowds as human shields while launching attacks with firearms and bladed weapons against law-enforcement and security personnel, and engaging in the killing of innocent people and staged violence to fuel further unrest—is a matter that warrants careful scrutiny and thorough investigation by the supervisory mechanisms of the Human Rights Council.

The Abshar Atefeha Charity Institute unequivocally and unconditionally condemns all acts of violence against civilians, humanitarian institutions, and charitable assets. The deliberate targeting of humanitarian infrastructure undermines the protection of vulnerable populations and erodes humanitarian space.

Our Institute calls upon the Special Rapporteur, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to ensure that their assessments of these events are comprehensive, impartial, and balanced. The voices and accounts of civil society organizations operating inside Iran must be heard. We maintain that an exclusive reliance by human rights mechanisms on information and reports provided by actors based outside the country—many of whom are affiliated with opposition movements and thus inherently biased—deprives such reports of the necessary credibility, balance, and holistic perspective.

The charity further urges these mechanisms to acknowledge and document the destruction, looting, and loss of life resulting from violent actions against civilian and humanitarian institutions, and to underscore the imperative of accountability for all serious violations, in accordance with the principles of international human rights and humanitarian law.

How Donations Help Charities for Children with Special Needs Change Lives
How Donations Help Charities for Children with Special Needs Change Lives

When it comes to supporting vulnerable groups in society, children with special needs often face the greatest challenges. From accessing healthcare to pursuing education and achieving independence, the journey for these children is far from easy. That’s why trusted charities such as Abshar Atefeha Foundation in Iran, along with international organizations, play a critical role in transforming lives.

But how exactly do donations help charities for children with special needs bring meaningful change? Beyond numbers and financial reports, every contribution creates real stories of hope, resilience, and empowerment.