MONTREAL – Montrealers stand behind an international group of 131 investors urging the business community, and particularly information and communications technology (ICT) companies, to assume their responsibilities to respect human rights in their relations with Iran following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini still plagued by a wave of protests.

Mahsa Amini is the 22-year-old Iranian student who died in suspicious circumstances last September, three days after she was arrested by Iran’s vice squad who felt her clothing was not decent enough. Ms Amini’s death has sparked an outcry in Iran, and waves of massive protests have sparked a movement across the country demanding a change in the current political regime.

In a statement, the group of investors, which manages more than $352 billion in assets worldwide, called on its colleagues and business partners to adhere to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which state that all companies have a responsibility . to avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities and to correct such impacts when they occur”.

“For us, this is a lever to call for greater due diligence so that investors can ensure that the companies they support are not complicit in what is happening in Iran,” said Sherazad Adib, a Montrealer from Iran who is dating François Meloche Origin of the initiative with the Group for Corporate Social Responsibility.

“Digital Authoritarianism”

Currently, the Iranian government restricts its citizens’ internet access, violates their privacy by spying on their electronic devices, hacks into dissident websites, and uses facial recognition and other artificial intelligence tools to track and identify its opponents.

“It is a barbaric government using modern technology for repression,” Ms. Adib said.

In this sense, the ICT sector can play a crucial role in the protests against the Iranian regime, as it provides products and services that are essential for freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of association, and therefore for the promotion of human rights , believes Mr. Meloche.

The partner and leader of the engagement at Aequo has no hesitation in using the term “digital authoritarianism” to describe Iran’s attitude towards its citizens, whose fundamental rights are being violated.

“This approach is part of the responsible investment movement, where we recognize that as shareholders in companies or as lenders, we have a responsibility to society,” he notes.

The statement will be posted online on Thursday and is open for signature by institutional investors who have not yet joined the movement.

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This story was produced with financial support from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.