NEW YORK (JTA) — Human rights groups urged the U.N. General Assembly to appoint a special envoy to investigate human rights violations in Iran.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Human Rights Watch made its plea at the 64th session of the General Assembly following allegations that protesters of the June 12 presidential elections in Iran have been raped and tortured in prison.
Both groups also called for a probe into the use of lethal force against the peaceful protesters, unwarranted lengthy solitary confinement and forced confessions by Iranian authorities.
"U.N. member states meeting at the General Assembly have a responsibility to uphold U.N. human rights principles and demand that Iran stop these grave violations," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director of Human Rights Watch, according to the group’s Web site.
