India votes against UNHRC resolution criticising Iran’s protest crackdown
New Delhi, January 25. India has voted against a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that criticised Iran for its response to recent anti-government protests, drawing praise from Tehran for what it described as New Delhi’s principled stance.
The resolution, which called on Iran to end what it termed the “brutal repression” of protesters, was adopted by the 47-member council with 25 votes in favour. Fourteen countries abstained, while seven – including India and China – voted against it.
Reacting to the vote conducted on January 23, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, thanked New Delhi for its “principled and firm support”, saying India had opposed an “unjust and politically motivated resolution”. He added that India’s position reflected its commitment to justice, multilateralism and national sovereignty.
The protests in Iran began on December 28 over rising inflation but later spread to more than 100 towns, with demonstrators calling for an end to clerical rule.
In its text, the UNHRC resolution deplored the “violent crackdown of peaceful protests” that it said had resulted in thousands of deaths. It urged the Iranian government to respect its human rights obligations and called for steps to prevent extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.
