Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Criticism rained down from Western governments on Iran during its periodic review by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Monday morning 15 February. The review session was opened by Mohamad Jabad Larijani, responsible for human rights in Iran, but his country’s human rights record was immediately attacked by the United States and other Western governments.
Michael Posner, US assistant secretary for state with responsibility for human rights told the meeting that “the United States strongly condemns the recent violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has resulted in detentions, injuries and deaths.
“Since last June millions of Iranian people have sought to raise legitimate concerns about the 2009 electoral process and to exercise their universal rights. The Government of Iran has suppressed their protests, often resorting to violence.” The US delegate went on to condemn Iran for restrictions on freedom of the press, the “status of detainees” including Americans held without trial and the execution of minors, and “systematic government violations of religious freedom.”
Papers compiled by the council in advance of the session brought up several other issues, including Iran’s failure to sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child, citing only general remarks by Iran on Islamic law as the reason.
Links to other sites: Deutsche-Welle (Ger), TSR (Fre), UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, US Mission, Posner statement, papers submitted by Iran and and compiled by the UN in advance of the session
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News story, GenevaLunch, 15 February 2010.
Filed under: International organizations
Tags: Geneva, Iran, U.S., UN, UN Human Rights Council, universal periodic review
February 17th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
The US and its western allies are engaging in double standards and hypocrisy, and the UN is merely a mouthpiece for these hypocrites. The US and its western allies condemn Iran for recent violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has resulted in detentions, injuries and deaths. However, they have rendered no condemnation of Israel for doing the exact same thing for the past sixty years. The US and its western allies have not condemned or charged Israel with warcrimes and crimes against humanity for its genocide, land stealing, ethnic cleansing, and blockade of Gaza, which is causing the death of Palestinians every day. Last but not least, Iran is being intimidated and sanctioned by the US and its western allie in an effort to force Iran to give up its legal right to enrich uranium out of fear that Iran is building nuclear bombs, while Israel is allowed to have 200-300 nuclear bombs without any consequences and make bomb threats against Iran. This is the kind of hypocrisy the world is watching from the US and its western allies, along with the UN, which is supposed to treat all nations fair and just.