WASHINGTON, Nov 24 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the special session today at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) addressing the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran "leaves no doubt that the HRCآ’s membership recognizes the gravity of the situation in Iran." "Todayآ’s Special Session at the UN Human Rights Council addressed the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, with a particular and appropriate focus on the regimeآ’s brutal acts of repression and violence against women and children, especially girls," Blinken said in a statement.
He added that the "UN Human Rights Council has a crucial role to play in drawing international attention to human rights crises such as the one in Iran, investigating them and establishing accountability mechanisms to document and respond to the abuses committed." "Todayآ’s session leaves no doubt that the HRCآ’s membership recognizes the gravity of the situation in Iran and the fact-finding mission established today will help ensure that those engaged in the ongoing violent suppression of Iranian people are identified and their actions documented," he stressed.
He affirmed that the US "continues to support the people of Iran in the face of this brutal repression" and reiterated "our call for the regime to immediately end its harsh crackdown and cease its violence against women and girls." At its 35th special session, the UN HRC adopted today a resolution "establishing an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran" related to the protests. (end) si