UN General Assembly Approves Resolution Condemning Human Rights Violations in Iran

On Tuesday, December 18, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran with 80 votes in favor, 27 against, and 68 abstentions. The draft resolution, prepared by Canada with the support of other countries, was approved in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in late November this year. The member states of the UN, in this resolution, strongly criticized 'executions and imprisonment on charges of apostasy and insulting sacred beliefs' in the Islamic Republic, and also condemned the execution of ethnic and religious minorities and women. The countries that approved this resolution also called for cooperation from Iranian government leaders with the UN Special Rapporteur regarding the human rights situation in Iran and urged the Islamic Republic officials to facilitate Ms. Mai Sato's visit to Iran and to be accountable for their illegal actions. The resolution also demanded that the 'dictatorship ruling in Iran' end the harassment and discrimination against opponents and minorities, arbitrary arrests, and inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, in a report in October 2024, described the repeated and severe human rights violations in Iran as concerning and called for a halt to executions in Iran. Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, also expressed concern in September 2024 regarding the statistics of executions carried out by the Islamic Republic in Iran, stating that according to international covenants, death sentences should only be considered for serious crimes. She also noted the restrictions on human rights defenders, intimidation and arrest of journalists, detention on charges such as actions against national security, and the prohibition of medical care for some prisoners as indicators of the limitation of civil rights in Iran, calling for the removal of these restrictions.