The UN Human Rights Council’s latest session focused on grave human rights violations in Iran, Syria, and Venezuela. Experts highlighted state repression in Iran, including violence against protestors, the humanitarian crisis in Syria with thousands of disappearances, and significant political repression in Venezuela surrounding electoral processes. Calls for accountability and international cooperation were prominent throughout the discussions.
The latest session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva scrutinized the human rights situations in Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, according to independent experts. Concerns were raised notably regarding Iran, particularly following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, which sparked widespread protests. Sara Hossein, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, indicated that during these protests, numerous children suffered grievous injuries from metal pellet ammunition and endured torture in detention.
Hossein underscored the Iranian authorities’ failure to acknowledge the protestors’ demands for equality and justice, stating, “For two years, Iran has refused to adequately acknowledge the demands for equality and justice that fuelled the protests in 2022.” She further highlighted the ongoing state repression of essential freedoms, resulting in harassment and intimidation of victims and their families.
Shaheen Ali, also part of the Fact-Finding Mission, voiced concerns over the lack of trust in Iran’s judicial system, asserting, “We have heard from countless victims and survivors that they have neither confidence nor trust in Iran’s judicial and legal system, to provide meaningful truth, justice and reparations.” He emphasized the necessity for accountability measures that extend beyond national borders, acknowledging the Iranian delegation’s opposition to the findings.
The Council also addressed the humanitarian crisis in Syria, with Paulo Pinheiro, head of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, stressing the need to uncover the fates of the tens of thousands of people who have disappeared. Pinheiro welcomed the new authorities’ readiness to cooperate on human rights issues but noted the dire state of the economy and humanitarian conditions, which require urgent remedies to prevent further violence.
Pinheiro disclosed that his team met families seeking truth and justice for their missing relatives, stating, “The clarification of the fates of the tens of thousands who remain disappeared will require a large-scale effort led by the caretaker authorities along with technical support from human rights and humanitarian entities, including Syrian civil society.”
In connection to Venezuela, Marta Valiñas, chair of the Independent International Fact-finding Mission, highlighted serious human rights abuses such as political repression and arbitrary detentions. She raised alarms over the lack of transparency in the 2024 presidential elections, claiming, “Credible testimonies indicated that council members received political instructions to announce a predetermined result.”
Amid increasing arbitrary detentions before the Presidential inauguration in January 2025, Valiñas noted that security forces repressed protests, resulting in numerous rights violations. Her investigations linked violent confrontations to fatalities during protests, where military forces reportedly used firearms against demonstrators.
Valiñas also expressed alarm over detainee deaths attributed to “health complications,” revealing abuses in detention. The Venezuelan Government dismissed these findings, declaring them as politically motivated propaganda. The representative criticized the mission’s bias, stating, “this mission produces its propaganda based on invented or politically motivated sources.”
The UN Human Rights Council’s examination of human rights violations in Iran, Syria, and Venezuela highlights severe systemic issues in each nation. Iran continues to repress protestors amidst ongoing calls for justice, while Syria faces a catastrophic humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the disappearance of individuals. Venezuela’s political repression threatens democratic integrity, underscoring the necessity for stronger accountability measures in all three nations. The findings call for urgent international attention and action to address these violations and provide support to affected populations.
Original Source: news.un.org
