Statement by Andrew Sigley, First Secretary Human Rights at the UN Third Committee meeting on Iran.
The United Kingdom extends its appreciation to Canada for its continued leadership on this important resolution.
Iran's use of the death penalty is not only an affront to human dignity - it is a political tool to incite fear and suppress dissent. Ethnic minorities continued to be disproportionately affected. This past year, we saw the 12th Woman Life Freedom protester executed - many more protesters and human rights defenders remain on death row. We continue to call on Iran to establish an immediate moratorium on executions.
The situation for women and girls remains deeply concerning. The authorities continue to bolster their surveillance capabilities to monitor and target women and girls, including human rights defenders, online and in their daily lives. The Iranian government is yet to effectively criminalise sexual and gender-based violence and to ensure equal access to justice for women and girls.
We remain deeply concerned by Iran's repression of Freedom of Religion or Belief. During and since the 12-day war, state-linked media intensified scapegoating and incitement toward religious minorities, in particular Baha'is and Christians. We stand with these communities' right to practice their faiths freely and without state interference.
Iran continues to target civil society beyond its borders. This activity seeks to silence journalists, activists and others responsible for documenting serious human rights violations. We are committed to working with international partners to combat this malign activity.
