‘Illegal,’ says Iran after expulsion from UN women’s commission
Tehran, Dec 15 (EFE).- Iran expressed outrage on Thursday at its expulsion from the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) after allegations that it brutally suppressed large-scale anti-government demonstrations.
The Islamic Republic was removed from the commission Wednesday after the United States introduced the resolution, which received 29 votes in favor and eight against it. Sixteen countries abstained.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani blamed the US for the “political action” that ran “contrary to the UN charter (and) creates a wrong procedure in this international organization.”
“The biased action of the US against the Islamic Republic of Iran is an attempt to impose unilateral political demands and ignore the election procedure in international institutions,” Kanaani said.
“Depriving one of the legal members of the commission… is a political heresy, discrediting this international organization and also creating a unilateral procedure for future abuses of international institutions.”
The spokesperson said it was “ridiculous” that Israel, “with a black record of organized crimes against the oppressed Palestinian nation,” was a commission member.
The spokesperson said Iran had made “great achievements in the field of women’s progress” in the past 40 years since the founding of the Islamic Republic.
“Iranian women will continue the path of progress and development based on Iranian Islamic values.”
Iran became a member early this year with a four-year mandate.
The 45-member commission was founded in 1946 to promote women’s rights, document the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shape global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Iran’s expulsion from the UN body comes in the wake of the crackdown on demonstrations sparked by the alleged death in custody of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, 22, in Tehran on Sep. 16.
Amini was detained by the morality police on September 13, allegedly for improperly donning her hijab.
The unrest has evolved into demands calling for the end of the Islamic republic founded by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.
Hundreds of people have reportedly died in the almost three months of protests.
The security forces have arrested at least 2,000 people for inciting and participating in demonstrations. Eleven of them have been sentenced to death.
Iran has executed two prisoners for their involvement in the protests. EFE
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