India voted against a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Friday that criticised Iran’s crackdown on recent anti-government protests. The resolution, which called for an end to what it described as ‘brutal repression’ by Tehran, was adopted by the 47-member council. Twenty-five countries voted in favour, 14 abstained, and seven — including India and China — voted against it.
Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, on Saturday thanked New Delhi for its “principled and firm support” of Tehran, including its opposition to what he called an unjust and politically motivated resolution.
He said the stance reflects India’s commitment to justice, multilateralism, and national sovereignty.
“The protests began on December 28 over rising inflation but later spread to more than 100 towns, with demonstrators calling for an end to clerical rule. In its resolution adopted on Friday, the council said it ‘deplored the violent crackdown on peaceful protests’ that led to thousands of deaths and urged Iran to respect, protect, and fulfil its human rights obligations. The resolution also called on Tehran to take steps to stop extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests.
“At least 5,000 people were killed in the crackdown on the protests, activists told the Associated Press on Friday. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the dead included more than 4,700 protesters, over 200 demonstrators linked to the Iranian government, 43 children, and 40 civilians who were not involved in the unrest. This makes the protests the deadliest period of unrest in Iran in several decades.
According to the group, more than 26,800 people have been detained as part of a widening arrest campaign. Meanwhile, the Iranian government said on Wednesday that the death toll stood at over 3,100, claiming that more than 2,400 of those killed were civilians and security personnel, while the rest were ‘terrorists’.
On January 8, authorities shut down internet access and telephone services, largely cutting Iran off from the outside world. The government has accused the United States and Israel of inciting the unrest.”
The restrictions were eased on January 13, according to AP, but text messaging services remained suspended and internet access was limited to government-approved local websites. The shutdown has made it difficult for international human rights groups to independently verify the death toll. On Friday, the UN body also extended the mandate of independent investigators for two years and expanded their role to strengthen scrutiny of Iran’s actions and ensure accountability for human rights violations. (Agencies)
