In back-to-back outrages that expose the depths of hypocrisy at the United Nations, the regime in Tehran is being given not one, but two prominent platforms at UN human rights bodies in Geneva-one week after the other.
First, from February 16 to 20, 2026, the UN Human Rights Council’s Advisory Committee convenes its 34th session-with an Iranian regime official, Afsaneh Nadipour, taking her seat for the first time as a full member and contributing to discussions on “gender perspectives,” “democratic international order,” and “gender-based violence.” Then, one week later on February 24, 2026, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi-architect of the regime’s aggressive foreign policy and defender of its repressive apparatus-will take the floor to address the UN Human Rights Council itself, at the high-level opening of the 2026 session.
This isn’t mere coincidence; it’s a pattern of the UN lending legitimacy to one of the world’s most murderous regimes, even after they slaughtered tens of thousands of their own citizens.
Feb. 16-20: Regime Official Takes New Seat on UNHRC Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee, often described as the Council’s “think tank,” kicks off its first session of the year with a week of meetings starting on February 16. Among its 18 independent experts is the recently-elected Afsaneh Nadipour of the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose term runs through 2028.
Nadipour, a career diplomat and former Iranian ambassador to Denmark, will - absurdly - help shape the committee’s work on critical issues including women’s rights.
Highlighted in the official provisional agenda, the session includes:
- Integration of a gender perspective into the committee’s work.
- Promotion of a “democratic and equitable international order”-a phrase straight out of Tehran’s anti-Western playbook, often code for undermining liberal democracies.
- Technology-facilitated gender-based violence and its impact on women and girls-an item that rings especially hollow coming from a government that deploys digital surveillance to hunt down unveiled women via AI-powered cameras.
The irony is staggering. Iran’s government enforces mandatory hijab laws with AI surveillance, morality police violence, and mass arrests-most infamously in the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising following Mahsa Amini’s death in custody. Thousands of women remain imprisoned. Executions and torture continue unabated.
Yet the UN elected and now seats a representative of this regime on a human rights committee advising on precisely these violations. This isn’t “human rights expertise”; it’s infiltration by a murderous regime.
Feb. 24: Iran’s Deputy FM Addresses UN Human Rights Council 2026 Opening
The absurdity escalates one week later. On February 24, 2026, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, is scheduled to speak at the UN Human Rights Council’s high-level opening for the 2026 session. Gharibabadi has long been a mouthpiece for the regime who whitewashed Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile tests, support for proxy militias, and domestic crackdowns.
His appearance follows the removal of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi from an earlier speaking slot, following a UN Watch pressure camnpaign that collected more than 150,000 supporters.
Diplomats cannot turn a blind eye when the regime simply substitutes another official. This comes amid Iran’s escalating repression, torture, and executions.
Call for Action
UN Watch calls on democratic member states to walk out during both events - during Nadipour’s participation in the Advisory Committee sessions, and during Gharibabadi’s February 24 address - to send a clear message that the UN will not platform tyrants lecturing on human rights.
Democracies must support genuine Iranian human rights defenders instead of their oppressors.
What You Can Do
- Contact your UN mission: Urge a diplomatic walkout.
