Speaking at the 58th UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, Abbas Araghchi said that "Millions of people in Iran are victims of human rights violations due to drug sanctions."
"We have been and are seeking to secure human rights for all people in the world. Iran has always been a victim of past policies," he explained.
"In the past decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has worked hard for human rights. By following Islamic values, we have sought the rights of all minorities," he said.
Araghchi said that certain governments exploit this institution to advance their own agendas, emphasizing that human rights should be pursued in an atmosphere of mutual respect and non-interference.
“We call on all governments to work toward protecting and promoting human rights based on the principles of fairness and impartiality,” he said.
The top diplomat identified unilateral coercive measures as one of the biggest obstacles to the realization of human rights at the international level. “These measures have a destructive impact on ordinary people and vulnerable groups, namely women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.”
Araghchi told the gathering that Iran has long been a victim of such misguided policies and demanded “the immediate lifting of all unilateral sanctions,” which he said violate the fundamental human rights of Iranians and have caused suffering to millions of innocent people.
The Iranian people have faced serious challenges for decades, including unfair economic sanctions and terrorism, he said, adding that “imposing political agendas by certain countries, often under the guise of promoting human rights, undermines the principles of the United Nations and threatens to destroy trust among member states.”
Elsewhere in his address, the foreign minister highlighted the Israeli violation of Palestinians’ rights. “One cannot talk about human rights without mentioning the suffering of the Palestinian people and the crimes of the Israeli regime.”
Iran firmly condemns the genocide in Gaza, as well as Israel’s systematic violence, occupation, and violation of the right to life of Palestinians. Araghchi called on the international community to hold the occupying regime accountable for these crimes.
MNA
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