299 Queen Street West and the golden era of MuchMusic | SaltWireGENEVA - The United States and rights groups complained on Thursday that it was"insulting" to allow Iran's envoy to chair a U.N. human rights council meeting in Geneva, citing violations by Iranian authorities, especially those against women.
Washington's envoy to the 47-member council Michèle Taylorboycotted the meeting, calling the appointment an"affront to the collective conscience of the global community". The United States and its Western allies have stepped up pressure on Iran's Shi'ite Muslim clerical rulers over Tehran's crackdown on protests triggered by the death in police custody of a young woman last year. The establishment violently ended the protests, accusing its foreign foes of igniting the months-long protests to weaken the Islamic Republic.
In an apparent swipe at Western sanctions on Iran, Bahreini opened the session by referring to"colonial policies" that he said deprive countries of revenues and hinder technology transfers and knowledge sharing.