Iran at Human Rights Council: Some Western countries incited public emotions, stoked riots, terrorist attacks in country

Iran has strongly condemned “some Western states” for stoking riots and acts of violence in the country through inciting public emotions, calling their instrumental use of human rights “disgraceful.”

The comments were made on Thursday by Iran’s Deputy Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Khadijeh Karimi, who was addressing a United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) on the recent riots in the Islamic Republic.

The meeting was called by a group of HRC members led by Germany and Iceland, who sought an investigation into alleged rights abuses during the handling of the riots in Iran.

Riots broke out in Iran on September 16 after a young Iranian woman, identified as Mahsa Amini died. The 22-year-old fainted at a police station in the capital, Tehran, and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. An official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization said that Amini’s controversial death was caused by an illness rather than alleged blows to the head or other vital body organs.

The rioters have been going on a rampage across the country, attacking security officers, resorting to vandalism against public property, and desecrating religious sanctities.

Last week, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said the United States and the United Kingdom were “directly” involved in the recent riots, adding that dozens of terrorists affiliated with the Zionist regime and anti-revolution groups have also been detained in the unrest.

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Referring to the thorough investigation launched following the death of Amini and a forensic report that denied any maltreatment of the Iranian woman by police and security officials, Iran’s representative at the UN Human Rights Council said, “While investigations were underway, some Western countries incited public emotions and sentiments of people [in Iran] and stoked riots and terrorist attacks in the country.

Karimi then pointed to hatemongering efforts and spreading false rumors with the goal of fomenting violence by anti-Iran TV channels based in the UK and the US, adding, “West’s interventions led to the killing and injuring of hundreds of Iranian police and security forces as well as destruction of thousands of public and private properties.”

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“The Islamic Republic of Iran regrets [the fact] that the Human Rights Council is being abused by a group of rogue states,” Iran’s representative said, describing the political use of human rights by these countries as disgraceful.

“This politically motivated move by Germany on the situation of human rights [in Iran] is an organized conspiracy that pursues hidden goals and will not lead anywhere,” Karimi said.

She added, “While due to imposition of unilateral sanctions by the American regime and implementation of those sanctions by European countries, especially Germany, the UK, and France, the rights of the Iranian people have been extensively violated by these so-called champions of human rights, expressing concern about the situation of human rights in Iran and holding a special [HRC] session is nothing but deception and fraud.”

“These countries lack the moral qualification to preach others and call for a special session on Iran,” Karimi said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kan'ani, had said earlier that the Islamic Republic considers the measures taken by a number of countries, including Germany, with regards to human rights as politically motivated.

He added that some member states of the HRC, who are also permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, have committed extensive crimes against humanity in their history.

“These measures by countries with such track records in their history are indicative of an unconstructive approach and prove instrumental use of human rights. Therefore, their moves will not succeed,” he said.

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