Iranian flag
Iranian flagIsrael news photo

The UN General Assembly on Monday approved a resolution denouncing serious human rights violations in Iran, The Associated Press reported.

The human rights violations range from flogging and amputations to torture and “a dramatic increase” in executions, according to the report.

The 193-member world body adopted the resolution by a vote of 89-30 with 64 abstentions, despite an attempt by the Islamic Republic’s UN Ambassador to prevent a vote on it.

The resolution, sponsored by Canada and co-sponsored by 42 other countries, cites “serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations” in Iran. It lists more than a dozen human rights concerns including torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, “systematic and serious restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly,” and “severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.”

It singles out problems facing Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis and Kurds as well as Baha'is, Christians, Jews, Sufis, Sunni Muslims and Zoroastrians.

The General Assembly also asked the Iranian government to cooperate with the UN and its officials in monitoring human rights compliance in the country.

The Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, subsequently strongly criticized what he termed “the naming and shaming” of specific countries by the General Assembly, AP said.

Khazaee said that human rights challenges should be addressed in the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, which he said is “devoid of politicization, selections, double-standards and confrontation.”

The condemnation of Iran comes after an earlier vote to condemn the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for its murderous nine-month campaign of violence against civilian anti-government protesters.

The resolution, sponsored by Germany, the UK and France was approved by the General Assembly in a vote of 133-11, with 43 abstentions.

Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja'afari accused the sponsors of the non-binding resolution of waging a "political, media and diplomatic war" with the goal of destroying his country.