Iran defends its human rights record at UN

Iran defended its human rights record and condemned Western sanctions at a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

“For decades, the Iranian people have faced grave challenges, including unjust economic sanctions and terrorism, which have had many devastating impacts on their social and economic rights,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech on Monday.

Araghchi, however, did not acknowledge that sanctions against Iran include those for human rights violations, which have targeted both individuals and entities across government sectors from the IRGC to the prison services. Other sanctions have been for Iran's support of Russia's war on Ukraine and its ongoing nuclear program.

The number of people executed in Iran rose from 834 to 901 in 2024, including 31 women, the UN Human Rights Office said in January. The figures have reached record highs since 2022.

While Araghchi said Tehran is committed to improving human rights and cited achievements in education, healthcare, and women's rights, Iran has restricted women's freedoms, including the violent enforcement of hijab laws.

Iran has frequently used violence to suppress demonstrations, including the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. Iranian forces killed hundreds of protesters, and arrested thousands more.

Iran's top diplomat also warned against the “politicized use of human rights” as a tool for pressure saying, “Human rights may not be used as a leverage of political and economic pressure or interference in the internal affairs of countries.”

The Islamic Republic has been accused of detaining foreign nationals and dual nationals on vague charges as a means of gaining leverage in diplomatic negotiations—a practice rights groups describe as 'hostage diplomacy'.