Taking to Twitter, United Nations Human Right Council said, 'At its 35th special session, the @UN Human Rights Council decided to create a new fact-finding mission to investigate alleged #HumanRightsViolations in the Islamic Republic of #Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022.'
India on Thursday abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The Dravida Munetra Kazhagam on Tuesday demanded that India should bring a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council for bestowing rights to Sri Lankan Tamils to decide a political solution by themselves, contending that the government there has failed on this account.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council and prohibiting any future funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Trump also directed the US to review its participation in UNESCO, citing concerns about anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment within the organizations. The executive order argues that the UNHRC, UNESCO, and UNRWA have drifted from their missions and act contrary to US interests. Trump previously halted funds for UNRWA during his first term, and President Joe Biden put a block on US funds for UNRWA in January 2024 over allegations that staff for the agency participated in Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack against Israel.
Sri Lanka's main Tamil party Tamil National Alliance has backed a United States-sponsored resolution to censure Colombo at the ongoing session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Organisations in the United States -- that have been campaigning against granting a US visa to Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- plan to lodge a complaint against him at the United Nations Human Rights Council with regard to his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday adopted a resolution against Sri Lanka's rights record, in a setback to Colombo, which made determined efforts to garner international support ahead of the voting.
A petition has been filed with the United Nation Human Rights Council by the Flags of Honour Foundation, Captain Kalia's father Dr N K Kalia and Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar, against war crimes and the torture inflicted on Captain Kalia and five jawans by Pakistani forces.
Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Javad Montazeri said that the morality police 'was abolished by the same authorities who installed it', The New York Times reported.
The Sri Lankan police have arrested two rights activists under an anti-terrorism law to prevent them from spreading "communal disharmony" in the country's war-torn northern region, ahead of voting on a resolution against the country at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
China on Saturday maintained silence on India's abstention at the voting at the UNHRC on the human rights situation in Xinjiang
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
India was elected last year and its term ends in 2010, but it would be eligible for re-election. Most members, including Pakistan and Bahrain, were elected despite opposition from the human rights groups who said that their record had been dismal.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 33 in favour, China and Eritrea voting against and 12 abstentions, including India, Armenia, Bolivia, Cameroon, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Pakistan, Senegal, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
The countries voting in favour included France, Germany, Japan, Nepal, The United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Abstaining in the UN General Assembly on a vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, India on Thursday asserted that if it has 'chosen' any side, it is the side of 'peace and it is for an immediate end to violence.'
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
'Despite the large number of missiles and drones we have already launched, we still possess reserves and missile cities whose doors have not yet been opened,' says Iran's Consul-General Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh.
The purge in Washington does not pause the war. Strikes continue, Hormuz remains closed, and Brent crude is still dancing around $109 a barrel. For India, the command chaos in the Pentagon is another layer of uncertainty piled on five weeks of conflict that was already straining every buffer Delhi has.
There appears to be inadequate appreciation of the freedoms and rights that are guaranteed and practised daily in a vibrant democracy, India says.
The intriguing bit is that Trump is likely to attend the talks in Islamabad this weekend -- if he does, it will be the clearest signal yet that the US is ready to exit the war with some sort of win to show, since he cannot afford to go for the talks and return empty-handed, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War
They also used YouTube extensively to learn how to create Improvised Explosive Devices for carrying out terror attacks. Digital footprints analysed during the interrogation identified the primary handlers as 'Ukasa', 'Faizan' and 'Hashmi'.
A US based rights body and an Indian American Muslim advocacy group have expressed disappointment over India's decision of not accepting all the UN body recommendations on human rights, in particular not ratifying the convention against torture and cruelty.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
The Indian Army's human rights record is above board, and people of India, army personnel and countries worldwide know the truth, he said.
Sports Awards could to be delayed: Ministry official
Both the countries have deployed their big guns for the 'diplomatic offensive'.
India, which normally does not vote on nation-specific resolutions, made a last-minute departure in the current instance after overwhelming pressure from parties in Tamil Nadu, especially the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which had even considered pulling out its ministers from the government at the Centre, to vote against Sri Lanka.
India along with 24 other countries on Thursday backed a United States-sponsored resolution at United Nations Human Rights Council against Sri Lanka asking it to conduct an "independent and credible" probe into allegations of human rights violations, an issue on which Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam pulled out of the ruling United Progressive Alliance government.
Expressing 'surprise' over India supporting a 'weak' and 'diluted' United States resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council, former United Progressive Alliance ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday said New Delhi had by its action "totally disappointed" the entire Tamil diaspora.
United Nation's top rights body on Wednesday asked Syria to stop attacking pro-democracy protesters and allow a fact finding team to assess the humanitarian situation in the country.
Unfazed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance, the government on Wednesday asserted it was "absolutely stable" and not a "lame duck" and said it will move amendments to the resolution on Sri Lanka at United Nations Human Rights Council to send a "resolute message" on that country's human rights.
Sri Lanka will reject the final draft of a United States-sponsored resolution submitted at the United Nations Human Rights Council which seeks to "discredit" and "single out" the country over alleged human rights violations, External Affairs Minister G L Peiris has said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on Wednesday briefed by top officials on the United States-sponsored resolution on human rights violations in Sri Lanka, within hours of government announcing that it will move amendments to the final draft text at Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council to send a 'resolute message' on the issue.
Dissatisfied with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's response over alleged war-time human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said the All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam will continue to press for India supporting the US backed resolution against Colombo at United Nations Human Rights Council.
India is likely to bring an amendment to the resolution sponsored by the United States on the alleged human rights violations by the Sri Lankan authorities during the end of the civil war -- at the ongoing session United Nations Human Rights Commission meet in Geneva, according to a source in the central government.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also asked India to ensure that the National Register of Citizens verification in Assam does not leave the people stateless.
'...We should first look at and acknowledge what we have done to ourselves.' 'To not do so opens us to the accusation of rank hypocrisy and also reduces the stature of our globetrotting peaceniks,' asserts Aakar Patel.
India's highly problematic move in backing an anti-Lankan resolution at the UNHCR will now make India even more marginal in the island nation with some grave long-term damage to its vital interests, says Harsh V Pant.
Till date, Pakistan, in all its official communication, has been referring to Jammu and Kashmir as "Indian Administered Kashmir"
