By Kenneth Bandler
NEW YORK– The American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauded a United Nations committee’s adoption of a resolution expressing serious concern about persistent human rights violations in Iran. The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee resolution was adopted by a vote of 76 to 35, with 68 abstentions. It is expected to be adopted by the full General Assembly in December.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran Dr. Ahmed Shaheed and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have documented extensive, ongoing human rights violations in Iran. In fact, Shaheed found that the situation in Iran has worsened over the past year. Iran’s ongoing abuses include discrimination against women and minority groups; arrests and detention of human rights defenders, activists, and journalists; and a record number of executions following unfair trials.
“Many UN member states have clearly recognized that Iran remains a systematic abuser of human rights,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “The international community should consider concrete steps to press Iran to end the pervasive violations.”
Following the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between the P5+1 and Iran on its nuclear program, Tehran launched a diplomatic campaign to block a UN resolution criticizing its human rights record.
Special Rapporteur Shaheed has recommended that a “high priority should be placed on amending laws and policies that undermine or violate internationally recognized rights and standards, and that therefore diminish the Government’s capacity to address concerns.”
The Secretary-General has reported that President Rouhani’s pledges for reform and greater protection of human rights have “not yet led to significant improvements” on key human rights.
AJC has raised this issue with governments, in person at the highest levels, and through a series of written communications by AJC regional offices and institutes. AJC called on Permanent Representatives to the UN to stand with the people of Iran and to support the resolution when it came before the Third Committee.
AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights continues to call for the release of Iranian political prisoners and reform of the country’s human rights performance.
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Bandler is AJC Director of Media Relations.