The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution on Monday, condemning Iran’s human-rights violations.
The final tally of the Canadian-drafted measure was 84-30 with 67 abstentions.
The resolution called on Iran to halt its use of random detentions and “alarmingly high” executions in addition to discriminating against women, conveying “serious concern about ongoing severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.”
It also condemns Iran for persecuting against religious minorities such as Jews, Christians, Gonabadi Dervishes, both Sunni and Sufi Muslims, Zoroastrians, Yarsanis and members of the Baha’i faith.
Finally, the resolution urges Tehran to cease “widespread and serious restrictions” on political dissidents such as, but not limited to, academics, environmentalists, journalists, bloggers, social-media users, human-rights defenders and filmmakers.
“We welcome today’s increase in votes compared to last year in the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of an important resolution that calls out Iran for its systemic discrimination against women and girls, human-rights violations against members of ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, including Arabs, Azeris, Bahai, Balochis, Jews and Kurds, and its ongoing severe restrictions on freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” said U.N. Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
“The death in detention last week of Vahid Sayadi Nasiri, imprisoned for Facebook posts critical of Tehran’s rulers, only underscores the urgent need for the international community to hold Iran accountable for its human rights abuses,” he added. “[On Monday], the world sent a strong message to the fanatical regime, and that must continue.”