AJC Commends UN Resolution on Iran's Human Rights Violations

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Dec 18, 2014, 03:24 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC commends the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly that expresses concern about "serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations" in Iran. The measure passed by a vote of 83 in favor, 35 opposed, and 68 abstentions.

The resolution reflects the compelling findings of recent reports on human rights violations in Iran by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, and by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In particular, it highlights ongoing abuses of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion; denial of the equal rights of women; and the practices of torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and extensive due process violations. It calls on Iran to cease discrimination and attacks against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Jews, Sufi Muslims, Sunni Muslims, and Zoroastrians, and to end the imprisonment and abuse of leaders and practitioners of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority.

"We appreciate that so many UN member states have clearly recognized that the past year has seen no improvement in Iran's poor human rights record," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "We join them in calling on Iran to take immediate steps to bring an end to these violations, in particular its ongoing harassment and persecution of human rights defenders, lawyers, media professionals, women, and members of ethnic and religious minorities."

This is the eleventh UN General Assembly resolution calling on Iran to cease its human rights abuses. Last month, 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 UN General Assembly's Third Committee on human rights. The Third Committee approved the resolution in November, with 78 states in favor, 35 opposed, and 69 abstaining, and then transmitted it to the full General Assembly for consideration. The General Assembly adopted the resolution by an even greater margin, with 83 states in support.

AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights has campaigned for the release of political prisoners in Iran, including members of the Baha'i faith, whose leaders have been jailed for more than five years.

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SOURCE American Jewish Committee