Source: news.bahai.org
UNITED NATIONS — The UN expressed “serious concern” yesterday over Iran’s continuing human rights violations, affirming that increased engagement with the international community on some fronts does not mean that Iran is no longer expected to uphold international standards for its people.
“In September, President Hassan Rouhani told the UN a ‘new chapter’ had been opened this year for his country, but the passage of this resolution today shows that the international community still expects action on human rights, not mere words,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, following the UN vote.
Ms. Dugal noted that at least 15 Baha’is in Tehran and elsewhere were arrested last weekend, and at least five Baha’i-owned shops were sealed in a continuation of the government’s campaign of economic repression against Baha’is.
“The sad fact is that human rights violations in Iran have continued unabated since President Rouhani came to power two years ago, as is shown by Iran’s ongoing arrests and shop closures—and by the depth and strength of this resolution,” said Ms. Dugal.
“The resolution cites a wide range of abuses, such as the lack of due process, widespread discrimination against women and the persecution of minorities, including members of the Baha’i Faith,” said Ms. Dugal.
The resolution was passed by the Third Committee of the General Assembly, which monitors human rights issues worldwide. The vote was 76 to 35 with 68 abstentions.
Among other things, the resolution expresses “serious concern” about “ongoing severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief”.
It also urges the government to release the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, and “to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination, including the closure of businesses, and other human rights violations against persons belonging to recognized and unrecognized religious minorities”.
“The resolution is quite specific in detailing all of the human rights violations that are currently ongoing in Iran, and it also lays out clearly how Iran could live up to its obligations under international law,” said Ms. Dugal.
“For example, it calls on Iran to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran by accepting, for example, his repeated request to visit the country, and it asks Iran to follow through on recommendations made at the Universal Periodic Review last year,” said Ms. Dugal.
The resolution was put forward by Canada and co-sponsored by 42 other countries. It follows reports on human rights in Iran by Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who both expressed concern over Iran’s continued violations of international human rights law.
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November 23, 2015 7:20 pm
“The UN vote was 76 to 35 with 68 abstentions.”
This is exactly where the problem is, and why Islamic Iran has been getting away with murder for the past 37 years. According to the UN vote, 35 countries support Iran’s Human Rights abuses and another 68 countries prefer turning a blind eye to the Iranian regimes murders. So in reality, 103 countries don’t care about the Human Right’s atrocities in Iran, and are probably doing multi-billion $$ business deals with the Islamic Republic. When you have a majority of countries in the UN that do not care about Human Rights, nothing will happen from the international perspective, as history has shown us for the past 37 years. It is the Iranian people, inside Iran, that need to rise against this brutal regime.
November 23, 2015 7:30 pm
“The UN vote was 76 to 35 with 68 abstentions.” SHAME on the 103 countries that either support the brutal Islamic regime of Iran or turn a blind eye to their Human Rights abuses. KARMA will get to them eventually. That is why many of these same 103 countries are failed states, and nations living in misery, chaos, and dictatorships.