Iran Condemned for Human Rights Violations at the United Nations
The UN General Assembly condemned Iran and North Korea for human rights violations in two separate resolutions. In the resolution passed against Iran, there was strong criticism of the suppression of political activists and journalists.
The UN General Assembly condemned Iran and North Korea for human rights violations. The proposed resolution against Iran was put to a vote on Thursday (December 17/December 26) with the presence of 193 representatives from countries around the world, which 81 countries approved. 37 countries voted against the resolution and 76 countries abstained.
The resolution against Iran was prepared by Canada and presented to the UN General Assembly. The resolution strongly criticized the suppression of political activists and journalists. The resolution described the increase in executions in Iran as one of the “concerning” issues.
Read more: Protest Against Arrest of Journalists by Intelligence Ministry of the IRGC
However, the resolution also welcomed the efforts of Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, regarding “important human rights issues including eliminating discrimination against women and ethnic minorities.”
Iran’s representative to the UN General Assembly criticized the resolution, calling it “unjust” and influenced by “political motivations.”
After China, Iran has the highest execution rate in the world. According to a report by Ahmad Shaheed, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights, 753 people were executed in Iran in 2014, of which at least 13 were under 18 years old at the time of the crime.
Although most executions in Iran in recent years have been related to drug trafficking (69 percent of executions in the first half of 2015), according to some officials of the Islamic Republic, the death penalty has not had much effect in reducing crimes.
From the beginning of January to the beginning of November 2015, at least 830 people have been executed in Iran. Currently, thousands are waiting for execution. Human Rights Watch also says that increasing the number of executions of drug offenders does not solve Iran’s drug problem.
Read more: «Iran Should Seek to Remove Capital Punishment for Drug-Related Offenses»
Recently, a number of members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly signed a bill that would require the death penalty to be removed from many drug-related violations. This bill was signed by 70 members of parliament.
Russia, China, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan were among the countries that voted against the resolution on human rights violations in Iran.
Although the provisions of this resolution are not binding, according to political observers, the passage of this resolution reflects the will of the international community to continue defending human rights in Iran following the nuclear agreement reached between the P5+1 and the Islamic Republic.
North Korea: Another Human Rights Violator
The UN General Assembly also condemned North Korea for human rights violations. 119 countries voted in favor of the resolution against North Korea, which was a significant increase compared to last year. 19 countries voted against and 48 countries abstained.
The resolution against North Korea was drafted by the European Union and Japan and presented to the UN General Assembly. The resolution criticized the “systematic and sustained violation of human rights” by the North Korean government.
Read more: Kim Jong-un, North Korean Leader, Is to Receive the Peace Prize
The resolution has asked the Security Council to refer cases of human rights violations in North Korea to the International Court of Justice. However, according to diplomats in New York, this request will likely be met with opposition from China. China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and can use its veto to block any binding resolution against North Korea.
Iran, China, Syria, Cuba, and Sudan were among the countries that voted against the resolution on North Korea.
