Iran has summoned the German ambassador and the British charge d’affaires in Tehran, protesting their countries’ role in drafting a UN Human Rights Council resolution to extend a fact-finding mission on Iran’s human rights record.
Forouzandeh Vadiati, Director-General for Women and Human Rights at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, condemned the resolution as a “provocative and irresponsible” move.
She accused Germany and the UK of using human rights as a political tool to pressure Iran.
During a meeting with the German ambassador, Vadiati criticised Germany’s alleged “instrumentalisation” of the Human Rights Council and referenced the country’s historical provision of chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War.
Meeting with the British charge d’affaires on the anniversary of Iran’s oil industry nationalisation, she accused the UK of a long history of interference in Iranian affairs and denounced its stance at the Human Rights Council.
Vadiati also accused both nations of aligning with US-imposed sanctions against Iran, arguing that such measures undermine Iran’s sovereignty.
The diplomatic protest comes as the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, warned of a surge in executions used to suppress dissent.
According to her report, at least 169 people were executed in January and February alone, raising concerns that the total could exceed 1,000 by the end of the year.
Sato’s report also detailed systemic discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, lack of judicial transparency, and an ongoing crackdown on protests.
The UN Human Rights Office has previously accused Iran of “weaponising” the legal system, using criminal proceedings and the death penalty to silence opposition.
The Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has documented severe human rights violations, including torture and sexual violence in prisons, which they say amount to crimes against humanity.
While countries such as Germany and Switzerland have urged Iran to end executions and repression, Iran’s allies—including Venezuela, North Korea, and China—have dismissed the UN fact-finding mission as politically biased and defended Iran’s human rights record.
