GENEVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) – The United States and human rights teams on Monday referred to as the appointment of an Iranian envoy to preside over the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva “insulting” over human rights violations by Iranian authorities, notably in opposition to girls. U.N.-appointed human rights consultants say Iran’s crimes throughout its crackdown on protests since final yr might quantity to crimes in opposition to humanity.
Iran denies allegations of discrimination in opposition to girls.
A spokesman for the UN Human Rights Council instructed Reuters that Iran’s U.N. ambassador to Geneva, Ali Bahaini, the one nominee following a proposal from the Asia-Pacific Group, had been appointed chair of the two-day assembly.
Washington’s particular envoy to the 47-member Security Council, Michelle Taylor, referred to as the appointment “an affront to the collective conscience of the worldwide neighborhood” and boycotted the assembly.
“Any debate led by representatives of a regime that constantly and with impunity violates the human rights of its personal folks is just not solely futile however an affront to our widespread beliefs,” she added.
The United States and its Western allies are stepping up strain on Iran’s Shiite Muslim clerics over their crackdown on protests sparked by the loss of life of a younger girl in police custody final yr. The regime has accused international enemies of fomenting the months-long protests to undermine the Islamic Republic, and has violently ended them.
The two-day convention, referred to as the “Social Forum,” is an annual assembly aimed toward bettering dialogue between governments and civil society teams, and this yr’s theme was know-how and human rights.
Bahaini opened the convention in an obvious criticism of Western sanctions in opposition to Iran, referring to a “colonial coverage” that he stated deprives nations of income and prevents know-how switch and data sharing.
Attendance at Thursday’s session was skinny and plenty of seats remained empty, however Reuters was unable to find out how many individuals had been actively collaborating within the boycott. Several nations with good ties to Iran, together with China, Cuba and Venezuela, spoke on the session.
Farideh Karimi, an Iranian girl who heads the International Association for Women’s Human Rights, stated her group had despatched letters to democratic nations urging him to not attend. “It’s an actual insult that he is been appointed. This is a regime that’s in opposition to girls,” she instructed Reuters.
Several non-governmental organizations additionally weighed in, with Justice for Iran criticizing Iran’s ban on US and UK COVID-19 vaccines.
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Additional reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Faber; Editing by William MacLean
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