The United Nations General Assembly adopted its annual resolution on the human rights situation in Iran with 78 votes in favor, 27 votes against, and 64 abstentions.
According to the voting results, which took place during a Thursday afternoon session on December 18 in New York, the number of votes in favor slightly decreased compared to last year, and the number of abstentions also declined.
Last year, the proposed resolution was adopted with 80 votes in favor, 27 votes against, and 68 abstentions. A comparison with the vote in the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee last month also shows that most of the differences stem from the absence or presence of certain countries.
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Earlier, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved the resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran on Wednesday morning, November 19, with 79 votes in favor and 28 against; a text that this year placed broader emphasis on executions, women’s rights, the repression of protesters, and transnational repression.
Transnational repression; an unprecedented reference in an official UN document
One of the most significant parts of this year’s resolution is the direct reference to “transnational repression,” an issue recorded for the first time in a General Assembly document concerning Iran.
The text states that dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders, and even their families abroad are subjected to pressure, threats, cyberattacks, and surveillance.
The resolution stresses that the families of these individuals inside Iran are harassed and intimidated as a means of silencing critics abroad. It also expresses serious concern over threats against the families of victims of Flight PS752 and the survivors of the 2022 protests.
Executions; grave concern over sharp increase and lack of fair trials
A major portion of the resolution is devoted to executions. The text expresses concern over the “alarming and significant increase in executions” in Iran, particularly executions carried out based on forced confessions and without respect for due process rights.
The resolution emphasizes that executions in Iran are disproportionately applied against Baluch, Kurdish, and Arab minorities, and that the number of executions of Afghan citizens is also rising.
The execution of juveniles, secrecy surrounding executions, failure to return bodies to families, and the use of the death penalty as a tool to suppress protests are among the other key issues in this section. The resolution calls on Iran’s regime to move toward an official suspension of the death penalty.
Women’s rights; from compulsory hijab to femicide and structural violence
The situation of women and girls occupies a special place in this year’s text. The resolution explicitly condemns the targeted repression of women—both in public spaces and online—and considers laws related to compulsory hijab, including the “Chastity and Hijab” law, a serious threat to fundamental freedoms.
Concerns are also highlighted regarding the extensive use of facial recognition technology to control students, as well as the imposition of punishments such as fines, property confiscation, academic suspension, travel bans, and even death sentences.
The text also refers to phenomena such as femicide, so-called “honor killings,” child marriage, and domestic violence, and calls for the adoption of comprehensive legislation to protect women and the complete abolition of compulsory hijab policies.
Ethnic and religious minorities; emphasis on structural discrimination
In the sections concerning minorities, concerns are raised about widespread discrimination against Baluch, Kurdish, Ahvazi Arab, and Azerbaijani Turk populations, noting that a larger number of protest victims came from minority regions.
The resolution also expresses concern over the situation of religious minorities, including Baha’is, Christian converts, Dervishes, Jews, Sunnis, Yarsanis, and Zoroastrians, and refers to enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and the destruction of religious sites.
Repression of protests; arbitrary arrests and widespread violence
The 2022 protests and their aftermath form another part of the resolution. This section criticizes the use of lethal force against protesters, torture—including sexual violence—mass arrests, and the issuance of harsh sentences against demonstrators.
The resolution calls on Iran’s regime to release all individuals detained in connection with the protests and to conduct swift, independent, and transparent investigations into the violations.
It also stresses the need to end the harassment of protesters’ lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders, and protesters’ families.
Gap with international standards and calls for cooperation with the United Nations
In the final section, the resolution urges Iran’s regime to increase its cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, including accepting the special rapporteur and the fact-finding mission, aligning domestic laws with international obligations, and establishing an independent national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles.
Implementing the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is also among the key demands of the resolution.
