The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) condemned Iran’s human rights violations in a resolution adopted at an official summit in New York on Monday.
The resolution was based on the reports of UN Human Rights Rapporteur in Iran Javid Rahman and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the human rights situation in Iran. Out of the 193 UNGA members, 84 states voted in favor of the resolution, while 67 abstained, including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Kuwait and Qatar, and 30 voted against, including Russia, China, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Before its referral to the General Assembly, the resolution was adopted in mid-November by the Human Rights Committee, with the approval of 85 countries, 68 abstentions, and 30 rejections.
The Committee’s resolution condemns the systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the regime and the alarmingly high number of executions, as well as torture and cruel treatment in prisons. It also strongly calls for a halt to discrimination against women in law and practice and expresses “grave concern at the continuing “widespread restrictions on the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of assembly.”
The resolution also emphasizes the need to stop the “harassment and intimidation” of political opponents, human rights defenders, defenders of the rights of minorities and women, workers, students, and environmental activists.”
Last month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said it rejected the report of the UN Human Rights Committee, accusing the international body of adopting “selectivity”, “politicization” and “ignoring the reality of Iran.”
Javid Rahman, in his latest report on the human rights situation in Iran issued early October, sharply criticized Iranian officials for the abuses. Tehran rejects requests by the UN Human Rights Rapporteur to visit Iran and investigate cases of violations.
Thus, UN reports are based on testimonies by victims and various organizations monitoring the human rights situation in the country.
