Iran Made Chair Of The UN Human Rights Forum Despite Controversies

Although Tehran, Iran's capital, has a record of torture, police brutality, oppression and executions, the regime was appointed Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum by Vaclav Balek, the President of the Human Rights Council, in May.

Hillel Neuer, the Executive Director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organisation based in Geneva, has been leading an international campaign that protests Iran becoming Chair of the Human Rights Council.

Neuer criticised the UN for their decision, noting that "a cruel regime does not belong on any UN human rights body, let alone as chair".

Josep Borrell, an EU High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, defended Iran's appointment as a matter of regional rotation and claimed it was "in consistency with established UN procedures".

However, UN Watch researched the controversial matter and found that the Asian group, to which Iran belongs, has held the position four times in the last six years.

UN Watch also recognised how other regional groups have been excluded from the regional rotation and argued that Iran should not have been chosen to chair the forum.

Neuer said that Iran's appointment as chair of the UN Human Rights Forum could have been overturned if a meeting had taken place before Thursday.

UN Watch has been a leading voice in calling out social injustices in Iran and their campaign that calls for the UN to overturn Iran's chairmanship of the UN Human Rights Forum is backed by a global petition.

The global petition, which asks the UN "How can you elevate a regime that beats, blinds, tortures and rapes women who demand their rights? Where is the logic? Where is the morality?", has been signed by more than 120,800 people.

In a video that has been viewed more than a million times, Neuer addresses the UN Human Rights Council, saying: "We are calling on Mr. Borrell to take action. It's time for all democracies at the UN to stop legitimising murderous regimes, in violation of the world body's founding principles, and instead to begin holding the perpetrators to account."

In reference to Iran's morality police, a brutal force that criminalises women who choose not to wear a hijab and inflict torture on those in custody, Neuer said: "The murderous regime in Tehran is responsible for a surge in executions, disproportionately applied to minorities, and for oppressing women and girls."

"The recent death of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, after being assaulted on the subway by the Iranian morality police for not wearing the compulsory hijab, is a reminder that this is a cruel regime that does not belong on any UN human rights body, let alone as chair," Neuer added.

Armita Geravand collapsed on a metro train in Tehran on 1 October, after she was assaulted by the morality police for not wearing a hijab.

While Women, Life, Freedom activists accused the morality police of assaulting the schoolgirl, the authorities insisted she had just fainted.

Days later, the 16-year-old was declared dead after "suffering from brain damage", according to state media.

"These appointments send the wrong message at the wrong time, enabling the Islamic Republic of Iran — even as it is shooting protesters in the face, raping human rights defenders in prison, and sponsoring Hamas atrocities — to strut on the international stage as a respected and influential actor," the Director of UN Watch acknowledged.

It is also widely known that Iran has been funding Hamas, the proscribed terrorist group that has governed Gaza since 2007.

Regarding Iran's involvement in conflicts within the Middle East, Neuer concluded: "Iran's regime never should have been chosen. Sadly, inside the UN, too many country delegations seek to go along to get along."