UN adopts 62nd resolution censuring rights violations in Iran

Maryam Rajavi: Clerical regime’s dossier should be referred to UN Security Council and officials in charge must be brought to justice

The 70th session of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday November 19, 2015, condemning flagrant and systematic violations of human rights in Iran by the clerical regime.

The resolution expresses “serious concern at the alarming high frequency of, and increase in the carrying-out of the death penalty, in disregard of internationally recognized safeguards, including executions undertaken without notification to the prisoner’s family members or legal counsel, and at the continuing imposition and carrying-out of the death penalty against minors and persons who at the time of their offence were under the age of 18.”

It calls on the Iranian regime “to abolish, in law and in practice, public executions… and executions carried out in violation of its international obligations” and “to ensure, in law and in practice, that no one is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The resolution strongly urges the Iranian regime to eliminate “all forms of discrimination and other human rights violations against women and girls.” It expresses “serious concern” over “violence against persons belonging to recognized and unrecognized religious minorities” and calls for elimination “in law and in practice” of “all forms of discrimination and other human rights violations against persons belonging to ethnic, linguistic or other minorities.”

The UN document also calls upon the regime “to end widespread and serious restrictions… on the right to freedom of expression, opinion, association and peaceful assembly” and “to release persons arbitrarily detained.”

The Iranian Resistance’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi welcomed the adoption of this 62nd UN resolution censuring human rights abuses in Iran and declared: Although this resolution accounts for only parts of the clerical regime’s crimes, it is nonetheless a revealing document on a regime that is criminal in its entirety and that has been able to hold on to power against a population demanding its overthrow solely by resorting to executions, torture, and ruthless suppression.

Mrs. Rajavi once again underscored the need to submit the dossier of the clerical regime’s crimes –including 120,000 political executions and seven massacres carried out in Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty - to the UN Security Council for adoption of binding and preventive measures as well as prosecution of the officials in charge of the crimes that are considered crimes against humanity by any standards.

Mrs. Rajavi reiterated that appeasement of the mullahs will only embolden the regime to further violate human rights, export terrorism and act with belligerence. She pointed out: The nuclear agreement must not be used as an excuse for turning a blind eye to the clerical regime’s inhuman crimes, and any engagement with Tehran must be made contingent upon improvement in the human rights situation in Iran, particularly an end to the savage death penalty.

Mrs. Rajavi added: The mullahs’ obvious jubilation over the November 13 tragedy in Paris, their active participation in the massacre of the people of Iraq, and their crimes against humanity in Syria bespeak of the fact that the clerical regime’s abuses are not limited to Iran’s boundaries and that the mullahs do not hesitate to slaughter innocent people and torture and execute political opponents wherever their political interests suit.

The NCRI President-elect added: This resolution once again reveals that the notion of the clerical regime’s 'moderation' is just a myth and Rouhani’s promises are hollow. It further proves that contentions over the religious dictatorship’s post-nuclear-deal movement towards moderation are also merely unfounded.