Iran will become the next chair of a UN human rights forum on Thursday, despite its substantial records of oppression, torture and violence used against its own citizens. The UN's failure to distinguish between procedure and logic has sparked an international protest campaign from human rights activists, calling out Teheran as ill-suited for the post.
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Iran was appointed in May by the president of the UN Human Rights Council, and EU High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell defended Iran’s appointment as a matter of regional rotation, “in consistency with established UN procedures.” However, UN Watch, an NGO that keeps tabs on the United Nations, found that the Asian group, to which Iran belongs, has held the position four times in the past six years, denying other regional groups their rotation.
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The Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the UN Human Rights Council
(Photo: Courtesy)
Although Iran's appointment can be overturned by a special meeting of the council, there is very little change that this would occur, according to Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch, which has been a leading actor at the United Nation on the subject of human rights in Iran. For example, Moammar Qaddafi's Libya in 2003 won the presidency of the UN human rights commission.
UN Watch is fighting to overturn Iran's appointment by distributing a global petition, launching a social media campaign and sharing a video in which Neuer i seen challenging the appointment before the Human Rights Council.
“We are calling on Mr. Borrell to take action. It’s time for all democracies at the UN to stop legitimizing murderous regimes, in violation of the world body’s founding principles, and instead to begin holding the perpetrators to account,” said Neuer.
“The murderous regime in Tehran is responsible for a surge in executions, disproportionately applied to minorities, and for oppressing women and girls. The recent death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, after being assaulted on the subway by the Iranian morality police for not wearing the compulsory hijab, is a reminder that this is a cruel regime that does not belong on any UN human rights body, let alone as chair.”
“It is unimaginable that on Thursday at the UN human rights council, Ayatollah Khamenei’s representative will be holding the gavel, with UN human rights chief Volcker Turk and other dignitaries at his side,” said Neuer.
“These appointments send the wrong message at the wrong time, enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran – even as it is shooting protesters in the face, raping human rights defenders in prison, and sponsoring Hamas atrocities – to strut on the international stage as a respected and influential actor.”
“No less, the regime is able to proclaim victory to its people – witness the instant declarations in state-controlled Mehr News Agency and Islamic Republic News Agency – in order to dishearten, dispirit and demoralize dissidents,” said Neuer.
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Protest anniversary for the death of Mahsa Amini at the hand of themorality police which sparked hijab protests
(Photo: EPA /CLEMENS BILAN)
“Iran’s regime never should have been chosen. Sadly, inside the UN, too many country delegations seek to go along to get along. In their closed world of backroom deals, a bloody dictatorship is every inch the equal of a liberal democracy. Democracies that pay lip service to the high principles of the UN Charter too often ignore them when making critical UN decisions,” he added.
The death of Mahsa Amini after her violent arrest in September of 2022 sparked protests in Iran which led to over 500 deaths of Iranians at the hands of the regime, the same country that later this week will take over as UN Human Rights Council chair.