Hundreds will be demonstrating in London against Sharia and religious laws and in support of secularism and universal rights on Sunday 20 June 2010. The rally organised by the One Law for All Campaign will be held from 1400-1600 hours at Richmond Terrace junction with Whitehall opposite Downing Street.

Following a campaign by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and other human rights supporters, the Islamic Republic of Iran has withdrawn its candidacy to join the United Nations Human Rights Council. Iran’s appalling human rights record had generated global opposition to its bid to join the world’s leading human rights body. Reuters reported that, "One Western diplomat said Tehran had pulled out after it became apparent it might not secure enough votes to win a seat, which would have embarrassed Iran".

Update: Iran has withdrawn its candidacy. IHEU President Sonja Eggerickx today launched an international appeal to keep Iran out of the United Nations Human Rights Council. "Iran has one of the worst human rights records on earth," she said, "yet it has had the audacity to announce its candidacy for membership of the UN Human Rights Council. The international community must not let this happen. We are calling upon the world's non-governmental organisations to join us in our appeal to keep Iran out." IHEU has started a petition on this web site and is seeking signatures from other organizations.

Update: Iran has withdrawn its candidacy.

The following organizations have signed the "Keep Iran out of the UN Human Rights Council" petition.

The total to date is 73. Click here to sign the petition on behalf of your organization.

Legal and diplomatic condemnations of Iran by UN Member States

In March 2010, the Federal Court of Switzerland, the country’s highest judiciary body, refused any further cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran because of its grave human rights violations.

One of IHEU's Dutch member organization, HIVOS (the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation), is being targeted by the Islamic regime in Iran.

Please act now to ask the Iranian government to stop the execution of Ehsan Fattahian scheduled for Wednesday, November 11, 2009.

Mina Ahadi and Nazanin Afshin-Jam write: "Behnoud Shojaee and Akram Mahdavi are scheduled to be executed in Evin prison this Sunday October 11, 2009, which falls one day after the International Day Against Execution. Some reports say that they may be executed tomorrow. Another juvenile, Safar Angooti is scheduled to be executed on October 21st. The Supreme Court is also deciding the fate of another minor on death row, Ali Mahin Torabi.

Speaking in the plenary debate at the Human Rights Council on 30 September on the Rights of Women, IHEU representative Cathy Buchs condemned the increasing use of rape as a political weapon in Sudan, Iran and other States, contrasting this with the “perverted sense of morality” that condemned 10 women to being whipped in Sudan for wearing trousers.

Iran Solidarity is calling for people across the world to stand with the people of Iran on July 25 and every day. Since its recent establishment, over 1,000 people and organisations have joined Iran Solidarity, including Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Mina Ahadi, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Taslima Nasrin. Its successful launch at the House of Lords on July 13 was hosted by Dick Taverne and chaired by Fariborz Pooya, head of the Iranian Secular Society. Speakers included the philosopher A C Grayling, campaign organiser Maryam Namazie, and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. You can see footage of the launch here.