The Brazilian government has chosen to abstain from a resolution approved this Thursday at the UN Human Rights Council condemning violence against women in Iran. The vote also allowed the party to set up an independent investigation to examine the crisis and repression in Tehran.
The resolution was accepted by 25 countries to support and six to oppose. 15 governments, including Brazil, abstained.
The UN special session was convened by Germany, who insisted that the crackdown on the Iranian government should be the target of international condemnation.
The resolution also sets up a team to investigate human rights abuses in Iran, which activists warn about 300 deaths and 14,000 more detained in the past three months.
If the Western powers have increased sanctions against Iran due to repression, this will be the first time since the 1979 revolution that an official international investigation mechanism has been established against Tehran.
Besides Brazil, countries such as Qatar, Mauritania, Namibia, Malawi or Sudan abstained. As it is customary, China and Venezuela sided with Iran, while all Europeans, Argentina, Mexico and the United States supported the idea of condemnation.
“The Iranian authorities cannot carry out this violent repression without being named,” said Michele Taylor, the US Ambassador to the UN. “The international community is watching”
The protests began after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested for improperly wearing a headscarf. He died while in custody, and his family condemned the torture and the involvement of the authorities. However, the Iranian government insists that his death was due to “natural causes resulting from a pre-existing condition”.
The girls took to the streets, universities and other public places to protest, further increasing the pressure from the authorities.
According to Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, there is “a truly human rights crisis”. In a speech before the vote, he urged the government to immediately stop the use of force against demonstrators.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.