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Iran Focus
 London, Dec. 17 - The United Nations General
Assembly adopted on Friday a resolution censuring
widespread human rights violations in Iran.
The Assembly expressed its serious concern over the continuing harassment,
intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, non-governmental organisations, political opponents, religious dissenters,
journalists, and students through undue restrictions on freedoms of assembly,
press and expression, arbitrary arrests, as well as the disqualification of
large numbers of prospective candidates during the June 2005 presidential
elections.
The resolution had 75 votes in its favour and 50
against, with 43 abstentions.
It called on Iran
to end the persecution of political opponents and human rights defenders.
It went on to say that Iran
must “eliminate the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman punishments, end
impunity for violations of human rights, abolish public executions,
particularly those who were under the age of 18 at the time of their offence,
and eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and
minorities”.
Iran’s
theocratic regime has been repeatedly censured by the General Assembly and
the United Nations Human Rights Commission for continuing human rights
abuses.
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