Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) wants to give the demonstrators in Iran a voice in the UN Human Rights Council. Before leaving for Geneva for the Council’s special session on Iran on Thursday, Baerbock said in Berlin: “Today the members of the Human Rights Council can show the flag against the injustice, the beatings and the shooting with which the Iranian regime wants to destroy peaceful protest.” They condemned the brutal violence and state tyranny that Iranians said they had been victims of for the past two months.
The special session came about at the request of Germany and Iceland and is supported by around 50 other countries. They call for an end to the violence and call on the government in Tehran to respect people’s right to peaceful expression. They want to enforce a formal investigation into the situation by independent experts. They should also collect evidence so that those responsible can one day be held accountable.
Iran has denied all allegations. The 47 member countries of the council wanted to vote on the resolution on Thursday afternoon. “Our message is: We don’t just look. We go where we can do something for the rights of Iranians with our voice,” said Baerbock.
