UN To Investigate Iran’s Alleged Human Rights Abuses During Protests

Hong Kong media reported on November 25th that the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council voted Thursday to set up an independent team to investigate Iran’s alleged bloody crackdown on a wave of anti-government protests lasting more than two months. The US expressed support for the U.N. resolution.

The protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old woman Amini while in the custody of morality police. Iranian authorities’ continuous suppression of the protests with an iron fist has raised international concerns. The U.N. Human Rights Council held an emergency session on Thursday in light of the dire human rights situation.

According to reliable sources, the death toll from the demonstrations so far is conservatively estimated as more than 300, including at least 40 children, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said it was unacceptable. Around 14,000 people, including children, were arrested over the protest; this is staggering.

The session discussed a proposal led by Germany and backed by 50 countries, which aimed to establish an independent international team to investigate Iran’s alleged bloody crackdown on the protests. Communist China opposed the investigation and requested to remove the relevant provisions, but China’s proposed amendment was rejected with 6 votes in favor, 25 against, and 16 abstaining.

The resolution ultimately approved the establishment of an independent investigation mission to collect evidence of the alleged abuses during the Iranian authorities’ crackdown.