Canada tries to focus UN spotlight on Iran's human rights record

CanWest ^ | Oct.28, 2009

[nuconvert]

UNITED NATIONS — A Canadian-led bid to focus attention on Iran's human rights record says United Nations special investigators should turn their gaze on the Islamic republic, according to a draft resolution that's expected to be unveiled Thursday.

The move by Canada and the measure's co-sponsoring governments comes amid criticism that many of UN human rights investigators spend a disproportionate amount of time probing alleged abuses in advanced democracies, while ignoring countries where the worst abuse takes place.

The draft resolution calls on investigators of torture, extra-judicial executions, free speech suppression, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and persecution of human rights activists to "pay particular attention" to Iran.

It notes Iran has offered a "standing invitation" for investigation by any of the UN experts, but has "not fulfilled any requests from these special mechanisms to visit the country in four years."

It also says Iran has ignored the experts' "numerous communications."

The UN investigator on the plight of minorities recently visited Canada. The arrival of Gay McDougall this month meant that half of her eight in-country investigations have been in advanced democracies, where critics say there is already an abundance of institutions to deal with human rights shortfalls.

Canada has led the drafting of resolutions on alleged human rights abuses in Iran every year since the 2003 torture and murder while in Iranian custody of Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-born Canadian photojournalist.

[CanaGuy]

Canada needs to focus on human rights violations in its own Quebec Province, where an entrepreneur can't even erect an English sign without being arrested or fined, because English is to be banned from public sight in a haven of Francophones. And people have been stripped of the freedom to put their kids into English schools. Is that racism? Methinks 'tis. Also the Human Rights Commissions across the country have become jack-booted Hate Crime enforcers, going after all manner of plain, honest people simply trying to express freedom of speech.

AND WE HAVE THE GALL TO GET INVOLVED AND POINT FINGERS AT VIOLATIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES??????

[fanfan]

Canada ping.

Thanks for the post, nuconvert.