Serious Concern of 85 UN Members Over Severe Human Rights Violations in Iran

On November 16, the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution with 85 votes in favor, expressing serious concern over severe human rights violations in Iran. The resolution calls on the Iranian government to end the restrictions on freedom of expression, thought, and religious beliefs, as well as the widespread arbitrary detentions and abductions of opponents. Iran, however, rejected the text of the resolution, stating that its supporters are themselves 'violators of human rights.' The Canadian representative, who introduced the draft resolution, expressed disappointment over the human rights situation in Iran and the lack of efforts in response to previous criticisms. Canada stated that this resolution was not politically motivated but aimed at helping Iranians enjoy their rights. The UK, among the supporters of this resolution, also expressed serious concern over the increase in executions in Iran, violations of women's rights, and the weakness of the rule of law. The US representative voiced concerns about the status and rights of minorities and minors. Iran faces widespread criticism due to the high number of executions, particularly of individuals who committed crimes under the legal age. These criticisms have recently been reflected in the discourse of Iranian government and judicial officials, who have spoken about the ineffectiveness of the high number of executions, especially concerning drug-related offenses. Reports indicate that most death sentences in Iran are related to drug crimes. Among other countries that voted in favor of the resolution was Saudi Arabia. Abdullah Al-Muallimi, the representative of this country at the UN, stated that contrary to the usual tradition of abstaining from voting on such resolutions, this time they voted in favor 'for the sake of the Iranian people.' On the other hand, Iran claims it has been sidelined in negotiations on this issue and that there is 'no sincerity' in the presented draft. The Iranian delegation to the UN also stated that it is unfair for such a one-sided resolution to be targeted, and that the supporters of this resolution are themselves human rights violators. According to the Iranian representation, the introduction of this resolution was politically motivated. Other countries that expressed similar sentiments in support of Iran or voted against the resolution included North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and Pakistan. In total, 85 committee members voted in favor of the resolution, 35 opposed it, and 63 abstained from voting. This is not the first time the Iranian government and its judicial mechanisms have been accused of human rights violations. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, made promises regarding the improvement of human rights in Iran during his election campaign. Iran has also held preliminary negotiations with institutions such as the European Union. Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, recently stated that some European criticisms regarding human rights violations in Iran are valid. However, the number of executions in Iran, which ranks second in the world after China in this regard, remains high. The status of freedom of information, the number of political and ideological prisoners, the continued house arrest of the 2009 election protesters, the arrest and threats against journalists, and the suppression of various believers are also annually met with criticisms from non-governmental organizations. Meanwhile, clerics close to the central government structure in Iran have also expressed their strong opposition to issues such as the reopening of the EU office in Iran, a matter that, according to the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, stems from human rights issues. In this context, concerns regarding the status of three prisoners after a hunger strike have led 17 members of parliament to demand explanations about the content of Narges Mohammadi's case to the public. The Baha'i community worldwide reported the closure of dozens of Baha'i shops across Iran. A letter from two thousand Baha'is and human rights activists to Rouhani urged that 'conditions for the education of Baha'is be provided.' Iran's insistence on 'red lines' such as qisas (retribution) in negotiations with Europe has been noted. Motahari stated that some European criticisms of human rights in Iran are indeed correct. Reports have emerged about the execution of a sentence of retribution involving the blinding of a convict in Iran. Eight political and ideological prisoners in Tehran and Karaj prisons have 'gone on hunger strike.'