WANA (August 14) – Ali Bahreini, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva, sent three separate letters on August 12th to Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Morris Tidball-Binz, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories. In these letters, Bahreini expressed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strong objection to the inhumane actions and policies of the Zionist regime, particularly the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Palestine.

 

In his letters, Bahreini explicitly stated that, from the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hamas is a liberation movement that fights for the freedom and independence of Palestine. From this standpoint, the assassination of Hamas leaders is aimed at demoralizing the Palestinian people’s struggle to end occupation and achieve their right to self-determination.

 

He emphasized that Israel seeks to eliminate the political identity of Palestine and the inherent right of the Palestinian people to have an independent state by targeting Palestinian leaders.

 

The Iranian Ambassador in Geneva explained that, according to Article 2.1 of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, the institutions of the Zionist regime should be recognized as terrorist entities. He argued that the actions carried out by the Israeli regime against civilians and Palestinian areas are clear examples of terrorism.

 

Bahreini also referred to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which recognizes the Palestinian right to self-determination, and described any action that violates this right as illegal.

 

The Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva strongly condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, calling it a blatant violation of international law and demanding its unequivocal condemnation.

 

In conclusion, the Ambassador urged UN officials to firmly and explicitly condemn this assassination and document it in their future reports. He also stressed the need for increased efforts to achieve justice for the Palestinian people and to hold the Israeli regime accountable for its crimes.

 

These letters reflect the serious concern of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories and the country’s strong commitment to pursuing international accountability for the inhumane actions of the Zionist regime in international forums.