Saturday, January 6, 2018

Iran Envoy To UN: Tehran Has 'Hard Evidence' Protests Incited From Abroad




Iran Envoy to UN: Tehran Has 'Hard Evidence' Protests Incited From Abroad




The Iranian government has hard evidence that the violence in the ongoing protests in the country is incited from abroad, Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Gholam Ali Khoshroo said during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.


"We have hard evidence of the violence in Iran by a handful of the protesters, in some cases resulting in the deaths of policeman and security officers, being very clearly directed from abroad," Khoshroo said on Friday.


Iranian Envoy to the UN Gholam Ali Khoshroo also stressed that the United States is abusing its power as a member of the United Nations Security Council and as a permanent member of the council by calling a meeting to discuss the protests in Iran.

"The move by the United States to bring to this council protests in Iran by some of our citizens for legitimate grievances some exacerbated by none other than US itself in its dereliction of its obligation under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] is an abuse of its power as a permanent member and an abuse of the council itself," Khoshroo said on Friday.

Moreover, Khoshoroo pointed out instigators based in the United States and Europe have been seen inciting violence during the protests in Iran. The instigation has included such activities as encouraging and training people to use Molotov cocktails, capture ammunition depots and stage an armed uprising.

Iran should be the one calling for an investigation into the role of foreign elements instigating violence in the country, Khoshroo concluded.

The UN Security Council meeting was called by the United States which has taken an active interest in what it sees as attempts by Iranian authorities to crack down on pro-democracy protesters. The US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the world was watching what the Islamic Republic was doing.

Meanwhile, China's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Wu Haitao said Friday his country took note of protests in Iran but believed they were its domestic issue that lay outside of UN’s scope.

The Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia stressed it is unacceptable to use "bogus pretext" to include internal political issues of Iran in the agenda of meeting. Nebenzia said the domestic political situation has stabilized in recent days. He added the Iranian people were united by anti-American feelings.

Nebenzia pointed out the real reason for convening the meeting was not a desire to protect human rights or promote the interest of the Iranian people, but rather an attempt to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"It is obvious for everyone that the topic chosen today does not fall within the prerogatives established by the UN charter," Nebenzia said. "The real reason for convening today's meeting is not an attempt to protect human rights or promote the interest of Iranian people, but rather an attempt to use the current moment to continue to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."

Russian Ambassador emphasized that the United States is undermining the authority of the United Nations Security Council by calling a special meeting on protests in Iran.

"Today we are witnessing how the United States is abusing the platform of the Security Council," Nebenzia stated on Friday. "Why the United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, is undermining the authority of the Security Council as the main body which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security?"


The envoy urged the Security Council members to allow Iran to deal with its own problems and rather focus on crisis situations in Lybia, North Korea, Syria.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and France call on the member states that make up the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to uphold their commitments so that the Iranian people may see its benefits, UK Ambassador to the UN Matthew John Rycroft said during a Security Council meeting.



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