The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly Condemns the Increase in Executions in Iran

The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved a draft human rights resolution against the Islamic Republic, focusing on executions, detentions, and torture in Iranian prisons. According to a report on Wednesday, November 30, from the UN website, this draft resolution against human rights violations by the Islamic Republic was presented by the Canadian delegation and was adopted by the Third Committee with 77 votes in favor, 28 against, and 65 abstentions. This draft must also be voted on in the UN General Assembly. The draft resolution refers to the 'alarming increase in the number of executions' and 'Iran's violation of human rights commitments through forced confessions and unfair trials' and expresses concern over the execution of individuals under 18 years of age in Iran. The resolution also calls on the Islamic Republic to 'stop the widespread and systematic use of arbitrary detentions.' Human Rights Watch: The Iranian government uses executions to suppress ethnic minorities. Although the Iranian representative at the UN claimed that the draft resolution is 'unfair and politically motivated,' Human Rights Watch also stated on Wednesday, November 30, that Iranian officials use executions 'as a tool of terror,' especially against ethnic minorities and political opponents. Other human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have similar assessments of the Islamic Republic's behavior. The Canadian representative at the UN, who introduced the draft resolution, pointed to the worsening human rights situation in Iran, stating that the Islamic Republic, with 'blatant disregard for human life,' uses the death penalty against individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression, belief, and peaceful assembly. He warned: 'Moreover, the Iranian regime is increasingly issuing death sentences against ethnic minorities and women, and this can no longer continue.' Iranian Representative: Political and hypocritical. Zahra Ershadi, Iran's ambassador and deputy permanent representative to the UN, reacted to the adoption of this draft resolution by stating that the Islamic Republic firmly rejects the 'unfair and political' resolution regarding human rights, which is 'selective, biased, and hypocritical.' She argued that because Canada has 'supported' or 'remained silent' in the face of Israeli attacks on Gaza and has not reacted to the terrorist attacks in Shah Cheragh and the explosions in Kerman, the resolution presented by this country is 'selective.' Her statements come at a time when Human Rights Watch emphasized in its report yesterday that at least 651 people were executed in Iran in the first 10 months of this solar year. The Iranian Writers' Association condemned the issuance of death sentences. However, Ms. Ershadi attributed the draft introduced by Canada, centered on concerns about the high number of executions, to 'the author's lack of understanding of Iran, its people, culture, religion, and rich civilization.' May Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, wrote in mid-September 1304 on X: 'In August 2024, at least 93 people were executed. Based on received information, only a portion of these executions has been officially reported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, highlighting the need for transparency.' Prior to him, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized in a report that drug-related executions in Iran have significantly increased since 2021.