Syria

Iran criticizes ‘one-sided’ UNHRC resolution against Syria

shamseddin20130530123218473Iran has strongly criticized as “one-sided” the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) recent resolution against Syria, calling on the international community to change its approach to the Syria crisis.

Speaking at a UNHRC meeting on the situation in Syria on Wednesday, Iran’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva Mohsen Naziri-Asl condemned countries that called the urgent meeting and co-sponsored the draft resolution.

The resolution accuses the Syrian Army of killing civilians by using heavy weapons during clashes in the western town of al-Qusayr.

On Wednesday, the 47-member council passed the resolution – co-sponsored by the United States, Turkey and Qatar – by a vote of 36 to 1, with eight abstentions and two absentees. Russia and Syria have also condemned the resolution.

Naziri-Asl said, “It is so regrettable that the sponsors of this meeting have turned a blind eye to the flagrant violations of human rights by militant groups and have held this meeting and prepared a totally one-sided draft resolution against Syria through a very biased and unilateral approach on the basis of political motivations.”

The Iranian envoy also endorsed earlier remarks by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay that the Syria opposition has committed flagrant violations of international law and endangered the lives of thousands of people by launching large-scale military operations.

Naziri-Asl warned that the continuation of the anti-Syria approach will not only fail to help a peaceful resolution of the existing crisis, but also encourage and intensify armed struggles by the opposition forces.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran still believes that the intensification of military conflicts and arming militants by certain countries can have disastrous consequences for the Syrian people and the entire region,” he stated.

Turmoil has gripped Syria since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on May 18 that militants from as many as 29 different countries are fighting against the government in different parts of the country.

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