Iranian MP writes to UN officials over rights violations in Asia, Europe

TEHRAN, Dec.17 (MNA) – Iranian MP Zohreh Elahian sent a letter to a number of the United Nations officials urging them to take the measures necessary to prevent human rights violations in six Asian and European countries. Elahian, who is the chairperson of the Majlis Human Rights Committee, made the remarks in separate letters recently sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Russia’s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin, whose country holds the rotating Security Council presidency, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem (Navi) Pillay, and Executive Director of UNICEF Anthony Lake. In her letters, Elahian criticized international human rights organizations for their silence on the atrocities being committed in Palestine, Bahrain, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Britain. Gaza siege should be lifted In her letter to Ban, she says, “Hereby, I express my regret and concern over the situation of more than 1,800,000 oppressed people besieged in Gaza who are experiencing appalling conditions and are deprived of their fundamental human rights and express sorrow at the fact that our fellows are deprived of the right to security, food, clean water, and so forth.” She also said, “The Iranian nation expects the UN, particularly the Security Council to take an effective measure to emancipate the Palestinians as soon as possible and punish the perpetrators of these war crimes and crimes against humanity as severely as possible and restore the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people to self-determination.” Iraqi, Libyan, Afghan people’s rights being violated In her letter to Churkin, Elahian stated, “Unfortunately we are witnessing that NATO forces’ attacks… have led to the violation of human rights of our fellows in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan. The deaths of thousands of innocent people are just one of the instances of human rights violations. The birth of deformed babies and patients suffering from cancer as a result of the use of depleted uranium in anti-personnel weapons and ammunition by the Americans in Iraq is another unpleasant gift of those attacks.” Bahrain crackdown should be investigated Part of Elahian’s letter to Pillay read, “The Bahraini people have staged peaceful protests against the dictatorial government of the Al Khalifa with the aim of” achieving social justice and restoring their human rights and rights to democracy and are calling for the implementation of the law based on the shariah (Islamic law). “But unfortunately they faced brutal crackdown by the Al Khalifa’s security forces and military forces of other countries,” the letter added. Elahian also wrote, “I, on behalf of the Iranian nation, express concern over the situation of the oppressed Bahraini people and condemn the blatant violation of human rights in Bahrain. The Iranian nation, along with the people of the world, expects the UN to prevent human rights violation in Bahrain through a serious measure and to sentence the perpetrators to the most severe punishment.” British children being abused In her letter to Lake, the female lawmaker MP wrote, “Despite the efforts made, children in certain countries have been victims of sexual violence, and, according to the reports received from Britain over the past 6 years, there has been a 60 percent rise in sexual assault cases. In addition to all this, many children have been arrested in recent protests by the British regime and are still in jail, and this measure is in contravention of Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.” “Given the responsibilities of the United Nations, the expectation remains that a good condition be provided for British children as soon as possible through an appropriate measure,” she stated.