UN Committee Protests Continued Human Rights Violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran

On Tuesday, November 13, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution protesting the Islamic Republic of Iran's continued human rights violations.

According to Reuters, the vote adopted a five-page resolution that, while protesting violations of the freedom of religious and ethnic minorities, pointed to continued ethnic discrimination, the high number of executions, and the poor conditions of prisoners.
The resolution was adopted by a close vote. In the Third Committee meeting of the UN General Assembly, 83 members voted in favor, 30 voted against, and 68 abstained.

This resolution was proposed by the Government of Canada to the UN Third Committee.

After approval by the UN Third Committee, this resolution will be put to a vote in the UN General Assembly.

The resolution made a specific reference to condemning the violations of the rights of the Baha'is in Iran, the largest non-Muslim minority group in the country. It cited economic and educational discrimination and called for the release of 90 Baha'is imprisoned in Iranian prisons.

Bonnie Dugal, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations, welcomed the condemnation, saying that the resolution shows that despite Iran's deceitful suppression of Baha'is, the international community is aware of the facts and that addressing Iran's defiance of international law is on its agenda.

Attached to this resolution is a 23-page report by Ms. Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran.

Before passing the resolution against Iran, Ms. Jahangir, reading her report, pointed out numerous human rights violations by the Iranian government, including: arbitrary arrests, trials of individuals accused of carrying out activities that are part of their rights, such as trade union activists and journalists, and violations of the legal rights of defendants in the courts.

In her report, Asma Jahangir also addressed the situation of Baha'is in Iran, noting that a large number of members of the Baha'i community in Iran suffer from violations of their human rights by the government. She also pointed out the numerous difficulties for Baha'is to work and do business, their expulsion from banks and companies, and the closure of their shops.

The United States and Western countries accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran of violating human rights. A month ago, Asma Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said in her annual report that although the Rouhani government has taken some steps, Iran continues to violate human rights and, in addition to carrying out numerous executions, does not respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.

Source: Radio Farda