DC Edit | India’s UN Stand On Iran Welcome

India’s vote against a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemning Iran’s crackdown on recent anti-government protests and calling for an “urgent investigation” into alleged abuses is in line with India’s long-standing stance against selective condemnation of events in member states.

Six other countries, including China and Pakistan, joined India in the decision, which called for the extension of the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran by two years and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur by one year.

It goes without saying that there is no justification for the Iranian government’s crackdown on protesters fighting for basic political and human rights. Especially if it has a long history and did not emerge as part of an international movement. The Iranian regime and its religious militias impose restrictions on their citizens that no democratically minded person could be blind to. The government in Tehran should take into account the wishes of its people instead of using violence against people demanding basic rights. The government there should not be lulled into the unrealistic comfort that they can forever suppress the quest for democratic freedom. The problems must be solved by the government and the citizens of the Islamic Republic.

A frequently expressed complaint against UN agencies is that they are very active in some parts of the world but unaware of developments in others. In some cities in the United States, hooligans in uniform on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement act as if they have a license to kill and torture people; They have already shot and killed two innocent people. It seems that the UN body has not yet analyzed the model that has developed in a country that defends human rights all over the world.

India must maintain its position that country-specific decisions and investigative mechanisms are of no consequence and that naming and shaming does not improve human rights outcomes. It should also encourage the Iranian regime to open channels of discussion with protesters and to resist the use of force against people, especially young people. The reported deaths of more than 5,000 people are too much for a nation to bear during this period.