Iran Denounces UN Human Rights Resolution as 'Illegitimate'

Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, November 17, described the UN General Assembly's human rights resolution against Iran as 'unjust, illegitimate, and politically motivated,' rejecting it outright. The UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee approved a draft resolution prepared by Canada on Tuesday with 85 votes in favor, calling for 'greater action against human rights violations and for transparent elections next year in Iran.' According to the Associated Press, 35 countries voted against the draft, and 63 countries abstained. The Canadian representative, who presented the draft resolution, expressed disappointment over the human rights situation in Iran and the lack of efforts to respond to criticisms raised so far. He stated that this resolution was presented not for political purposes but to help Iranians enjoy their rights. Nevertheless, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, Bahram Qasemi reacted to the approval of this resolution in the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, saying, 'Unfortunately, this resolution was drafted and approved without considering the realities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based solely on a selective and confrontational perspective with specific political objectives.' A few days earlier, Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, acknowledged that some European criticisms regarding human rights violations in Iran are valid. Qasemi called for 'UN human rights mechanisms not to be used as tools for the political games of major powers and the hostilities of some countries towards other societies.' He described the negative votes from Israel, Saudi Arabia, and what he termed 'a small number of countries devoid of democracy and freedom in the region' as a 'bitter irony,' claiming they are 'the main supporters and promoters of terrorism, violence, and extremism.' This accusation comes amid claims from these countries that Iran is responsible for exporting terrorism, interfering in regional countries, and violating human rights. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also pointed out that 'the appropriate venue for assessing human rights in countries is the periodic human rights reporting mechanism for all countries in the UN Human Rights Council.' Qasemi noted that Iran has a 'constructive and active participation' in this mechanism, adding that this reflects Iran's seriousness in promoting human rights and fulfilling its international commitments through constructive cooperation, global equality, and dialogue-based mechanisms. International organizations have repeatedly condemned human rights violations against various minorities, dervishes, Baha'is, Christians, Sunni Muslims, ethnic groups, women, human rights activists, and journalists in Iran. Previously, Iran's human rights record has faced criticism in UN Human Rights Council meetings, and a special rapporteur has been appointed for Iran. One of the most criticized aspects of Iran's human rights practices is the high number of executions, particularly of individuals who committed crimes under the legal age. Reports indicate that the majority of death sentences in Iran are issued for drug-related offenses. Before the approval of the Canadian draft resolution in the UN Human Rights Committee, Gholamhossein Dehghani, Iran's ambassador and deputy representative to the UN, described its preparation as the result of collusion by countries that themselves commit the most atrocities against their citizens and use human rights merely as a pressure tool against nations seeking independence. According to the state-run news agency IRNA, this Iranian official stated that 'the human rights situation in Iran does not warrant such a biased resolution.' This comes at a time when Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, expressed concern over human rights violations in Iran a few months ago.