UN General Assembly Approves Resolution Condemning Human Rights Violations by Iran

On Tuesday, December 19, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution protesting human rights violations in the Islamic Republic, proposed by Canada, with 81 votes in favor, 30 against, and 70 abstentions. Human rights activist Hassan Nayeb Hashem tweeted that this resolution was passed with a 'very high vote' in the General Assembly. Some Iranian news agencies have also published similar reports. According to these reports, the resolution was proposed by Canada, and the Syrian representative at the UN objected to it. The draft resolution included clauses expressing concern about the human rights situation in North Korea, Syria, and the Crimean Peninsula, all of which were approved. Meanwhile, according to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Hassan-Nejad Pirkuhi, the second counselor of Iran's permanent mission to the UN, criticized the approval of resolutions against North Korea and Syria. Additionally, according to IRIB News Agency, Iran's mission to the UN issued a statement to the Secretary-General, calling Canada's proposal for a resolution against the Islamic Republic 'regrettable' and stating that this country is 'eager for this biased resolution without regard to Iran's repeated requests for respectful dialogue.' On the other hand, Canada's Twitter account for Foreign Policy announced that Canada will pursue human rights support in Iran following the UN General Assembly's vote on its proposed resolution. The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly also approved a resolution on November 14 with 83 votes in favor and 30 against, criticizing the ongoing violations of religious and ethnic minority freedoms and state-organized discrimination against minorities in Iran. The resolution expressed concern about the high execution rates, poor prison conditions, torture, and arbitrary detentions in Iran. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, at that time deemed this resolution 'rejected,' 'unreliable,' and 'political.' In September of this year, Asma Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, stated in her first report that there has been no significant improvement in Iran's human rights record, and restrictions on freedom of expression and discrimination against women and religious minorities continue. This report was met with denial and strong reactions from Iranian officials, but Ms. Jahangir stated in an interview that Tehran could not substantiate any of its objections to her report.