India Abstains on UNHRC Resolution to Probe Crackdown on Iranian Protesters

India has abstained from a resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to probe alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran committed on protesters.

India was one of 16 abstentions on the UNHRC resolution. Qatar also abstained from the resolution. China, Eritrea, Cuba, Pakistan, Armenia and Venezuela voted against the resolution. However, the resolution received 25 votes in favour. The United States and the United Kingdom voted for the resolution. The resolution was sponsored by Germany and the Netherlands at a special session of the 47-member human rights body. The resolution called for a fact-finding mission in order to probe the human rights violations in the Islamic Republic.

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On November 16, the third committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) also voted on a draft resolution over the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. The committee urged Iranian officials to not use excessive force against protesters.

India has, so far, kept silence on Iranian protests. India also voted against an Iran-specific resolution in the third committee of the UNGA.

The Islamic Republic has seen protests rage since September 16. Amini was taken into custody by Iran’s morality police for wearing an ‘inappropriate’ hijab on September 13. She died on September 16 at a hospital in Tehran. Subsequently, human rights activists accused the Iranian morality police of custodial violence. Amini’a family claimed that morality police beat her at the detention centre. Amini’a family also accused the Iranian authorities of killing Amini.

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Earlier, the United States and European Union imposed sanctions on Iran for its crackdown on protesters. According to the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), Iranian security forces violently cracked down on protesters.

Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, also condemned the Islamic Republic for holding public trials for 1,000 protesters.