Iran FM: OHCHR must hold Israel, supporters accountable for atrocity in Gaza
ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency
Mon / 26 February 2024 / 14:32
Iran Foreign Minister said The Human Rights Council must hold the Zionist regime and its supporters accountable for the atrocity crimes committed in the occupied Palestine.
Tehran-ISNA- In his speech before The 55th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday, Islamic Republic of Iran Foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called for meaningful action by the UN system in response to the mass killing of thousands of women and girls in Gaza.
Iran foreign minister speech is as follows: The Islamic Republic of Iran remains steadfast in adhering to and respecting human rights and dignity based on its national cultural values and the Islamic teaching.
Unfortunately, the realization of the lofty goals of human rights is faced with some trying challenges, the most urgent of which is the systematic and widespread "human slaughtering" by the world's only apartheid regime i.e. the occupying war-mongering regime of Israel.
Indeed, one must admit that the world is facing the most reprehensible moral and humanitarian crisis, which is the result of 80 years of unconditional support for, and condoning, the colonial occupation and the continuous violation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.
During the past 142 days alone, more than one hundred thousand "human beings" have been slaughtered or injured or buried under rubble in Gaza, and those who happen to be alive there, are facing an imminent death from starvation and infectious diseases.
Let's resolve in this important session today to not allow genocide and other atrocities become banal and normalized. I draw your attention to the recent report of the Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories which demonstrates the depth and gravity of the crimes and gross violations of human rights in Gaza and the West Bank.
The world is witnessing the maximum support for the Israeli atrocities by the United States of America and some of its allies that make them complicit to the ongoing crime of genocide. The Human Rights Council must hold the Zionist regime and its supporters accountable for the atrocity crimes committed in the occupied Palestine.
It goes without saying that the impunity granted to the Israeli regime during the past 8 decades has been the main reason behind the continuation and expansion of the occupation and mass killings by this regime. I would like to underscore that the prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of the most serious international crimes committed against the Palestinians should be prioritized by the competent international authoritative institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court.
A revealing irony of today's international politics is the rise in the global calls for the cause of women's right, on the one hand, and the increasing discrimination against women that violate their rights and dignity and overlook their inherent role both in family and in the society, on the other.
I must say loud and clear that the human rights record is now stained and even tainted due to the atrocity perpetrated against Palestinian women and girls in Gaza and West Bank. If we are to restore the integrity and credibility of human rights mechanisms, we need to end the Palestinian genocide by stopping the occupying regime from further aerial bombardment and ground and sea offensive against Gaza and Rafah as well as systematic starvation of the Palestinian people.
We would not forget what cries were raised in this place more than a year ago following the tragic death of a dear Iranian girl that saddened everyone in Iran, and a special so-called fact-finding committee was set up for that purpose! But today, no meaningful action is taken by the UN system in response to the mass killing of thousands of women and girls in Gaza.
I should reiterate that imposing such procedures against my country under the pretext of fact-finding, while there are effective national mechanisms in place, is void of any logical, legal or legitimate basis. It is only another instance of instrumentalization of human rights mechanisms for political purposes.
The sinister and dangerous phenomenon of terrorism and extremism continues to claim innocent victims. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a country that has been at the forefront of the fight against terrorist groups and sacrificed many lives for that cause, has always stressed the need for effective international cooperation against terrorism as a global threat. The elimination of terrorism requires, above all, stopping the instrumentalization of terrorism by certain powers, in particular the United States. Unfortunately, some Western countries continue to host terrorist elements, and this is yet another manifestation of hypocritical approach toward human rights
Islamophobia, which is mainly a result of racist and supremacist discourses in some political circles in the West, still persists in many ways. The consequence of such extremism is the rise in discrimination and religion-based violence in different parts of the world against Muslim individuals and communities and their sanctities. This is all the while that Islam is a religion of mercy and humanity, and this challenge needs to receive continuous attention in the Human Rights Council. The national, cultural and religious values and beliefs of nations should be respected and the imposition of a single prescriptions for all nations should be avoided.
Unilateral coercive measures continue to systematically violate fundamental human rights in the targeted countries and render serious harm to people. Imposing unilateral sanctions against nations is an unlawful and internationally wrongful act that amount to a crime against humanity.
In conclusion, I would like to stress that the Islamic Republic of Iran's policy of interaction and dialogue, including in the field of human rights, is unwavering. We would utilize all our national capacities to protect and promote human rights based on our Constitution as well as our international legal obligations, and will spare no efforts in this regard.
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