Iran human rights role ‘like granting Bin Laden a Nobel Peace Prize’
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The United Nations has been accused of “rewarding” Iran for major human rights abuses such as its mass crackdown on protesters after it handed the regime a leading role at a human rights forum.
Israeli officials and Iran human rights groups have poured scorn on the UN after it appointed Iranian ambassador Ali Bahreini as chairman of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum 2023.
The appointment was confirmed in a May 10 letter signed by Václav Bálek, the president of the UN Human Rights Council.
“This is like granting Bin Laden a Nobel Peace Prize," said Naftali Bennett, Israel's former prime minister.
"The regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at forefront of the some of the worst human rights violations in the past 20 years. Hanging LGBTs, murdering women, violently repressing peaceful demonstrations, Iran time and again proves to be one of the worst regimes on earth."
The regime, which says the death sentences are necessary to maintain law and order, has been gripped by a mass protest movement that erupted last year over the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, 22.
Meirav Eilon Shahar, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, said in response to the appointment:
When approached for comment, a United Nations spokesman confirmed the appointment but said the Social Forum 2023 was not a UN body or mechanism and merely a two-day event.
A spokesman said: “For this year’s edition of the Social Forum, the President of the Human Rights Council sent a letter to all regional groups of the United Nations in early April inviting them to submit nominations for the role of the chair.
“The President received one nomination of H.E. Mr Ali Bahreini, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as Chair Rapporteur for the 2023 Social Forum, from the Asia-Pacific regional group. No other nomination has been presented by any other regional group.”
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