Nikki Haley: UN Human Rights Council Remained Silent on Iran’s December Protests
The United States Representative to the United Nations has accused the UN Human Rights Council of disregarding human rights violations, stating that the council remained silent during nationwide protests in Iran in December.
Nikki Haley, speaking at a session held on Wednesday afternoon, July 18th, at the conservative think tank “Heritage Foundation” in Washington, said: “In December and early this year, the people of Iran took to the streets and engaged in peaceful protests against their brutal government. The government responded with beatings, arrests, and killings, and the Human Rights Council remained silent.”
The nationwide protests in December left at least 25 dead, hundreds wounded, and resulted in the arrest of approximately 5,000 people.
Following these protests, at the request of the United States, a session was held at the UN Security Council regarding the unrest and suppression of protesters, which ended without any significant outcome.
Ms. Haley, who spoke on Wednesday about the reasons for the United States’ withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council, emphasized the importance of human rights to America and referenced the Security Council session held concerning Iran, among other points.
Ms. Haley also cited Agenda Item Seven as one of the primary reasons for leaving the council. According to this agenda item, Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians must be discussed at every Human Rights Council session.
On Wednesday, Ms. Haley stated that this council has not established such a permanent agenda item for any other country, “not Iran, not Syria, and not North Korea.”
She stressed that since 2009, when the United States joined this council, despite American patience and efforts, the council has failed to implement necessary “reforms,” which ultimately led to the United States’ withdrawal from the council.
The United States withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council in late June.
The US Representative to the United Nations also cited the membership of countries such as “Cuba, Venezuela, and China” in the council as additional reasons for America’s withdrawal, emphasizing that these countries “are among the worst human rights violators.”
He added that some member states privately expressed “disgust” at the membership of countries like “Cuba, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Congo” in the council, but all such statements remained confined to closed-door discussions and out of public view.
Ms. Haley, without naming these countries, said that although they believe in the inherent dignity of human beings, “they lack the courage to effect change,” and added: “They have votes and voices, but their choice is not to use them.”
Nikki Haley nonetheless emphasized that the United States’ withdrawal from the council does not mean the country will be inactive in the field of human rights and, in support of her argument, continued that this month the United States was able to neutralize Russia and China’s efforts to reduce the number of UN peacekeepers.
She accused the UN Human Rights Council of “political corruption and moral bankruptcy,” and while emphasizing America’s desire to reform the council, stated that “remedying the council’s defects” has been and will be one of the UN’s priorities.
Source: Radio Farda
