UN Human Rights Council: Western Countries Slam Iran On Human Rights

Not the sort of thing you would ever expect to hear in the UN Human Rights Council--criticism of Iran:

The statement, delivered by Norwegian Ambassador Bente Angell-Hansen, expressed concern over a "lack of progress in the protection of human rights in Iran," especially since the widespread arrests and bloody crackdowns against dissidents that followed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election on June 12, 2009.


Iran's shortcomings include "the violent suppression of dissent, detention and executions without due process of law, severe discrimination against women and minorities including people of Baha'i faith, and restrictions of expression and religion," said the statement.

...Rights groups also have complained that Iran hasn't allowed U.N. investigators to visit in recent years and isn't fulfilling its obligations under international treaties.

Of course, at the article points out--only 56 nations, less than a third of all U.N. member nations, agreed with the rebuke.

Besides Iran, others backing Iran in opposing the statement were the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Pakistani Ambassador Zamir Akram said Iran was being unfairly singled out.

The result was the Obama administration congratulating itself on reversing Bush policy by joining the UNHRC and working to change it from the inside.

Let's see how the US follows up this "success"--and whether it takes another year to hear about it.

Technorati Tag: Iran and UNHRC.