Iranian human rights groups warn that US aid cuts will hinder the flow of information regarding human rights violations in Iran amid an intensified government crackdown. President Trump’s freeze on foreign aid reflects concerns about alignment with US values but has dire repercussions for activism and reporting within Iran. Activists face worsening conditions as surveillance and arrests increase, and critical voices are silenced.
Iranian human rights activists express grave concern regarding the recent freeze on US foreign aid, cautioning that this will hinder crucial information flow related to human rights violations in Iran. Amid an intensified crackdown on dissent by the Iranian government, the aid freeze poses significant threats to reporting and activism within the country.
On January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending all American foreign aid through the State Department and USAID for three months. This decision was purportedly made due to dissatisfaction with the alignment of these aid agencies with US foreign interests and values.
The impact of this freeze has been profound in Iran. Government repression of journalists and civil society has escalated, leading to the downsizing of Iranian human rights organizations operating abroad. These groups have had to reduce their capacity to monitor human rights conditions and support advocates for civil liberties due to the financial constraints imposed by the aid cut.
At the same time, Iran is grappling with a severe economic crisis, with the value of the rial collapsing from 32,000 to 584,000 per US dollar since 2015. Amidst this economic turmoil, Iranian authorities are conducting increased arrests of activists and dissenters, intensifying fears of further repression.
Ali Vaez, the Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, emphasized the dangers of reduced visibility into human rights abuses, stating, “Violators of human rights, you know, they’re like mushrooms. They grow in the dark. So if there is no light shed on what they’re doing, then they feel that they have a more open hand.”
US-funded organizations that monitor human rights in Iran, including media outlets and civil society initiatives, rely heavily on the Near East Regional Democracy Fund (NERD). The fund was created following the 2009 protests in Iran and received a requested budget of $65 million from the Biden administration in 2024, with specific allocations for internet freedom.
Iranian officials have seized on the aid freeze, portraying it as a component of US interventionist policy aimed at disrupting Iran’s internal affairs. Sanam Vakil from Chatham House asserted that funding of this nature exacerbates Iranian governmental paranoia, as it is perceived as a direct threat to national security.
Security forces have specifically targeted critics of the regime, particularly following military setbacks, including the challenges faced by Iran’s ally Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah. A notable case in this crackdown involves actress Soheila Golestani, who is facing severe penalties for her involvement in a film critiquing social issues and reflecting the protests ignited by Mahsa Amini’s death.
The suspension of US foreign aid has ignited significant concern among Iranian human rights advocates as it may inhibit the flow of information regarding human rights abuses. This freeze not only exacerbates existing repression but also threatens the operations of organizations advocating for civil liberties in Iran. Furthermore, the situation is compounded by the Iranian government’s aggressive response to dissent, leading to deepening fears of further human rights violations.
Original Source: www.newarab.com
