UN Human Rights Council deliberating Iran abuses

NCRI - Members of the United Nations Human Rights Council are currently deliberating the latest report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran. Delegations at the UN in Geneva on Monday are responding to the report by UN investigator Ahmed Shaheed which said that Iran’s regime was the lead executioner of children globally.

Here's what some of the delegations have said so far:

EU: Finds Iran’s policies that suppress freedom of expression as well as religious and ethnic minorities problematic.

Canada: Deeply troubled by high rate of executions in Iran. Iran should fully abolish execution of juvenile offenders.

Macedonia: We express our concern at the execution rate in Iran, especially of juveniles.

Norway: Continues to be deeply concerned by the high rate of executions in 2015 as well as the targeting of journalists and activists in Iran.

New Zealand: Disappointed and concerned that many of Iran's human rights indicators have not improved under current government's tenure. We strongly oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, and we call on the Iranian government to abolish execution on Juvenile Offenders.

Denmark: We remain concerned with the extraordinarily high number of executions in Iran. Discrimination based on sex and religion remains a serious problem there.

Germany: We agree that situation of human rights remains critical in Iran; there have been no improvements with regard to civil and political rights.

Belgium: Continued monitoring of the human rights situation in Iran remains essential and has our support.

USA: Calls on Iran to admit the UN Special Rapporteur on a country visit.

Spain: More progress is necessary for Iran to meet international obligations. We regret execution rates, for example, towards minors convicted of drug crimes in Iran.

France: Calls on the Iranian authorities to cooperate with the UN Special Rapporteur. Death penalty rates are becoming alarming; minors are being targeted despite Iran's international commitments. The situation of civil and political freedom remains a problem, all basic freedoms are threatened in Iran.

UK: We are deeply concerned about the number of executions reported in Iran - a record number in 2015. Iranian authorities should immediately commute death sentences against political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. The UK remains deeply concerned by the treatment of all religious communities in Iran. Iran attempts to restrict flow of information inside and outside the country.

Switzerland: Religious and ethnic minorities continue, in law and practice, to receive severe limitations.

Iran's regime executed nearly 1,000 prisoners last year, the highest number in two decades, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran said last week.

Ahmed Shaheed told a news briefing in Geneva that he is particularly concerned by executions for crimes committed by children under 18. This was "strictly and unequivocally prohibited under international law," he said.

There had been a "staggering surge in the execution of at least 966 prisoners last year - the highest rate in over two decades", Shaheed said.