On Friday, March 3, the UN Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran. In the vote on Friday, 21 countries voted in favor of extending the mandate, 7 countries voted against, and 19 countries abstained. This resolution was proposed by Sweden. China, Venezuela, Cuba, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Burundi voted against the resolution. Mohsen Nazari Asl, Iran's representative at this meeting, described the appointment of the special rapporteur as a 'political,' 'unjust,' and a 'deviation from the fundamental principles and goals of the establishment' of the Human Rights Council. The UN Human Rights Council has not yet appointed a successor to Asma Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, who passed away on Sunday, February 11, at the age of 66. She had been active since November 2016, following the end of Ahmad Shahid's mission as the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, and had criticized the human rights situation in Iran in several reports. In her first report in September 2017, Jahangir stated that there had been no significant improvement in Iran's human rights record, and restrictions on freedom of expression and discrimination against women and religious minorities continued. This report was met with denial and severe reactions from Iranian officials, but Jahangir stated in an interview with Radio Farda that Tehran had failed to provide any substantive objections to her report. Since 2011, when the UN first appointed Ahmad Shahid as the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Tehran has never allowed a human rights rapporteur to visit the country. Iranian government and judiciary officials have repeatedly stated that the Islamic Republic opposes the appointment of special human rights rapporteurs for countries and that the Iranian government cooperates with thematic rapporteurs. In this context, criticism of the suppression and torture of dissenters was included in Jahangir's final report on Iran. UN experts called on Iran to revoke the death sentence of Ahmadreza Jalali. Jahangir stated that no regime can endure forever while being oppressive and abusive. Iran deemed the new UN human rights resolution 'invalid' and 'political.' The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly condemned the ongoing human rights violations in Iran.
UN Human Rights Council Extends Iran's Special Rapporteur's Mandate Again
The UN Human Rights Council has extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, a move opposed by several countries including China and Venezuela. This extension follows the death of Asma Jahangir, who had been critical of Iran's human rights record. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between Iran and international human rights mechanisms.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The UN Human Rights Council voted to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, following the death of Asma Jahangir. This decision faced opposition from several countries, including China and Venezuela.
- 21 countries voted in favor of the extension, while 7 voted against and 19 abstained.
- Iran has not allowed a human rights rapporteur to visit the country since the position was established in 2011.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran has been a critical voice against the Iranian government's human rights violations, which include suppression of dissent and discrimination.
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