On Thursday, November 18, the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee expressed its 'deep concern' over human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran by adopting a resolution. This resolution also criticized the 'suppression' of civil activists, journalists, and opponents, as well as the alarming increase in the number of executions in Iran. According to Reuters, this non-binding resolution was prepared by Canada and presented to the Third Committee of the General Assembly, which has 193 members. The resolution is set to be discussed in the General Assembly. The report states that 76 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 68 abstained, and 35 voted against it. European countries and the United States supported the resolution, while Russia, China, and Syria were among the countries that voted against it. The resolution calls on Iran to end 'widespread and serious restrictions in law and practice on freedom of expression, opinion, and the right to peaceful assembly' for its citizens. It states that harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detentions of civil activists, journalists, and opponents continue in Iran. The resolution also expresses concern over the rising number of executions in Iran and criticizes the execution of individuals who were under 18 years old at the time of committing a crime. In response, Gholamhossein Dehghani, Iran's deputy permanent representative to the UN, stated that the resolution distorts facts selectively with political motives and reflects nothing but baseless anti-Iranian speculation. Dehghani severely criticized Canada, stating that Ottawa continues its provocative policies against Iran deliberately. Previously, Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, accused Iran of 'widespread human rights violations' in a report to the 70th UN General Assembly. This report referred to 'clear' violations of women's rights, government censorship and restrictions on media, internet filtering, limitations on freedom of expression, pressure on labor unions, discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, the detention of activists and human rights defenders, public executions, and the issuance of death sentences for minors who committed crimes before the age of 18. In this context, the UN Secretary-General condemned the executions of Fatemeh Salabih and Samad Zahabi.
UN General Assembly Committee Expresses 'Deep Concern' Over Human Rights Violations in Iran
The UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee has expressed deep concern over human rights violations in Iran, criticizing the suppression of activists and the rise in executions. The resolution, prepared by Canada, received support from 76 countries but faced opposition from 35, including Russia and China. This matter is significant as it highlights ongoing international scrutiny of Iran's human rights record.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee adopted a resolution expressing concern over human rights violations in Iran, including suppression of activists and increasing executions. The resolution was supported by 76 countries and opposed by 35.
- The resolution criticizes Iran for restricting freedom of expression and assembly.
- It highlights the issue of executions, including those of minors.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has faced longstanding criticism for its human rights record, including issues related to freedom of expression and the treatment of minorities.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%