UNITED NATIONS — A UN General Assembly committee passed resolutions condemning human rights violations in Iran, North Korea and Myanmar, provoking a furious reaction from their delegations.
A top Iranian official lashed out at Britain as the “United Kingdom of devils,” North Korea’s representative said his country would not change its much-condemned actions, while Myanmar’s ambassador called the vote “seriously flawed.”
Iran caused the most contested debate, with the Islamic Republic even trying to stop the vote going ahead. “Violations continue and continue to worsen,” said Canada’s UN ambassador John McNee, whose country led the 42 nations that co-sponsored the resolution.
Iran has consistently rejected international appeals over the use of torture and increasing use of public executions, including by stoning and strangulation, McNee said.
“This persistent attitude over time demonstrates a fundamental lack of respect for the United Nations, its human rights treaties and practices,” he said.
Mohammed Javed Larijani, head of Iran’s High Human Rights Council, told the committee the resolution was “harmful for international peace and coexistence.”
“Our crime is that our democracy is not a replica, not an Xerox copy of western democracy. We do not want to be Western democracy,” said Larijani. Britain sent an intelligence agent to shoot an Iranian student killed during protests after Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election, he … >>>
