Several Diplomats Walk Out During Speech by Iran's Minister of Justice

Reports indicate that several diplomats walked out during the speech of Alireza Avaei, Iran's Minister of Justice, at the 37th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, March 8. Simultaneously, a protest against the Iranian Minister of Justice, who is on the European Union's human rights sanctions list, was held outside the UN office in Geneva. According to the Associated Press, Alireza Avaei criticized the U.S. for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and condemned the Saudi-led coalition's blockade of Yemen during his speech. The news agency added that around 100 people gathered outside the venue to protest against the Iranian Minister of Justice. The U.S. delegation to the UN Human Rights Council also condemned Avaei's speech in a statement on Tuesday. The U.S. delegation's statement read: 'As a member of the United Nations, we must use our collective voice to condemn human rights violators; those who seek to use this council's platform to downplay their role or undermine the fundamental values for which this body was established to defend.' Alireza Avaei was placed on the EU sanctions list in October 2011 along with 28 other officials. Previously, Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, had objected to the presence of the Iranian Minister of Justice at the UN Human Rights Council, stating that this Iranian official is 'responsible for some of the worst human rights violations in Iran.' The group known as 'Friends of a Free Iran' in the European Parliament also expressed shock at news of Avaei's presence at the UN Human Rights Council. The statement noted: 'Mr. Avaei has previously served as the Attorney General and was a member of the 'Death Commission' in Khuzestan province, issuing execution orders for many in Iran, including the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988, and his name has frequently been mentioned in relation to this massacre.' Some opponents of the Islamic Republic claim that the current Iranian Minister of Justice played a 'key role' during the execution of political prisoners in 1988. He served as the public and revolutionary prosecutor in Dezful, Kurdistan, and Ahvaz from 1979 to 1988.