UN condemns ‘severe’ human rights violations in Iran
UN condemns ‘severe’ human rights violations in Iran
General Assembly passes Canadian-drafted resolution singling out Islamic Republic’s discrimination against women and persecution of religious minorities
The UN General Assembly on Monday approved a resolution urging Iran to stop its widespread use of arbitrary detention and expressing serious concern at its “alarmingly high” use of the death penalty.
The Canadian-drafted resolution was adopted by a vote of 84 to 30 with 67 abstentions.
The resolution “strongly urges” Iran to eliminate discrimination against women in law and practice and expresses “serious concern about ongoing severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.”
The resolution also calls on Iran to end “widespread and serious restrictions” including on freedom of assembly of political opponents, human rights defenders, labor leaders, environmentalists, academics, filmmakers, journalists, bloggers, social media users and others.
While the resolution welcomes the elimination of the death penalty for some drug-related offenses, it expresses serious concern at the “alarmingly high frequency” of Iran’s use of the death penalty, including against minors.
After the measure passed a preliminary vote at the General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee last month, an Iranian diplomat dismissed the Western-backed resolution as a “political charade.”
Deputy UN ambassador Eshagh Al Habib said that while “deficiencies may exist,” he said it was “not for those who traditionally, historically and practically supported colonialism, slavery, racism and apartheid to lecture Iranians on human rights.”
Deputy UN ambassador Eshagh Al Habib said that while “deficiencies may exist,” he said it was “not for those who traditionally, historically and practically supported colonialism, slavery, racism and apartheid to lecture Iranians on human rights.”
Read more: Times Of Israel
Iran Briefing | News Press Focus on Human Rights Violation by IRGC, Iran Human Rights