United Nations, October 28 (Reuters) – The United States will next week bring protests in Iran sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody to the attention of the United Nations and seek ways to encourage credible, independent investigations into Iran’s human rights abuses. .
The United States and Albania will hold an informal meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday, according to a statement detailing the event seen by Reuters. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Iranian-born actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi will speak.
“The meeting will highlight the ongoing repression of women and girls and members of religious and ethnic minority groups in Iran,” the statement said. “It will identify opportunities to promote credible, independent investigations into human rights violations and abuses by the Iranian government.”
Javaid Rehman, the UN’s independent investigator on human rights in Iran, is also due to speak at a meeting open to other UN member states and rights groups.
Iran has been rocked by protests since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died in police custody last month. The unrest has turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all walks of life, one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since 1979. revolutions.
Iran blamed its foreign enemies and their proxies for the unrest.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York accused the United States and its allies of abusing its platform “to advance its political agenda.”
“Given its hypocrisy, double standards, and selective use of human rights, we believe that US claims of support for Iranian women are fraudulent and unfair,” it said.
Rights groups said at least 250 protesters were killed and thousands arrested across the country. Women played an important role in the protests by removing and burning veils. The deaths of several teenage girls reportedly killed during the protests further fueled the anger.
“The meeting will highlight the continued unlawful use of force against protesters and the Iranian regime’s persecution of human rights defenders and dissidents abroad, with the aim of abducting or killing them, in violation of international law,” a statement on the planned meeting reads.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Friday called on Iranian authorities to address the “legitimate grievances of the population, including women’s rights.”
“We condemn all incidents resulting in the death or serious injury of protesters and reiterate that security forces must avoid any unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters,” Dujarric told reporters. – Those responsible must be brought to justice.
Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Edited by Daniel Wallis
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