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UN condemns Iran for post-elections human rights violations
United Nations, Nov 20 (PTI):
The UN General Assembly human rights committee adopted a resolution that condemned Iran for human rights violations against its citizens who protested during the highly disputed presidential elections.
India has voted against the resolution that condemned Iran's post-election human rights violations.
The non-binding draft resolution, which also urged Tehran to cease any further persecutions against Iranians was tabled by Canada was adopted by 74-48 vote with 59 abstentions in the GA.
US State Department deputy spokesman, Robert Wood, noted that the adoption of the resolution "demonstrates that the international community is deeply concerned over the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and the government's failure to uphold its obligations under its own constitution and international human rights law.
"Underlining that that 118 members of the General Assembly did not support it the resolution, Iran's UN envoy Mohammad Khazaee sharply criticised Canada for tabling the "politically motivated" resolution, and criticised it for "systematic violations of human rights including discriminatory policies against Aborigines, migrants and minorities.
"Wood, however, described the results as "the largest vote margin on such a resolution on Iran in the UN ever."
"The resolution expressed "particular concern at the response of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Presidential election of June 12, 2009 and the concurrent rise in human rights violations.
These included -"the government's reported use of forced confessions," "its mass trials resulting in some death sentences, and the "escalation in the rate of executions in the months following the elections.
"It listed several violations such as- "harassment, intimidation and persecution, including by arbitrary arrest, detention or disappearance, of opposition members, journalists and other media representatives, bloggers, lawyers, clerics, human rights defenders, academics, (and) students.
Rejecting these claims, Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said, "The election was another display of the democratic nature and openness of the political system in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
