US protests Iran's election to UN NGO committee
UNITED NATIONS - US Ambassador Samantha Power protested the election of repressive regimes including Iran to the UN Committee on Non-governmental Organizations which deals with civil society groups accredited to the United Nations.
Iran's UN Mission responded Thursday by rejecting "baseless accusations" raised by Power on the status of human rights and civil liberties in the country.
Iran was one of 19 members elected Wednesday by the UN Economic and Social Council to four-year terms starting January 1, 2015. The others were Burundi, Guinea, Mauritania, South Africa, Sudan, China, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela, Greece, Israel, Turkey and the United States. (AP)
