Iran slams UNHRC session as illegitimate, says no submission to foreign pressure

Iran on Friday rejected a special session of the UN Human Rights Council as illegitimate, with its envoy in Geneva saying the country has never submitted—and will never submit—to foreign domination or pressure.

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations office in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, made the remark in Geneva on Friday while addressing the 39th Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Iran.

"Iranian nation, with a civilization spanning 2,500 years, has never accepted domination, or colonial rule," he said, adding, "History has proven, repeatedly, that Iran neither submits to foreign pressure nor tolerates covert aggression disguised as concern."

He added that the Iranian nation has endured war, sanctions, terrorism, and relentless pressure, yet they stand united.

“It is deeply ironic that states whose historical records are stained with war crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and systemic violence—even against their own populations—now attempt to lecture Iran on social governance and human rights,” he emphasized.

The envoy noted that the sponsors of the session have never genuinely been concerned with the human rights of the Iranian people; otherwise, they would not have imposed inhumane sanctions in violation of the fundamental rights of every single Iranian nor would they have supported the Israeli regime's war of aggression in June, resulting in the killing of innocent Iranians.

Bahreini said since the beginning of the protest on December 28, Iran fully recognized people’s right for peaceful protests, but the incidents deliberately turned into organized violence, including terrorist attacks, destruction of public properties and armed attacks on civilians and security forces.

Providing the official death toll of the foreign-backed riots, the envoy added, "Unlike those who selectively mourn victims for political convenience, Iran neither hides its dead nor outsources grief."

"We remain the principal claimant of justice and the sole authority pursuing accountability. No foreign power has moral authority over the lives of Iranian citizens," he added. 

"Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not recognize the legitimacy or validity of this Special Session and its subsequent resolution," he stressed. 

Iran has its own independent national mechanisms to investigate and ensure accountability regarding acts of violence and terrorism during the recent foreign-backed riots, he explained.

The Iranian diplomat emphasized that the legal status of all detainees will be examined in accordance with the country’s law, saying those whose guilt is established will face full legal responsibility in fair, impartial, and transparent trials per international standards.

"While Iran does not seek war, it remains fully prepared to defend its people, its territory, and its independence against any threat, at any scale, from any source," Bahreini added. 

Iran slams EU parliament’s ‘meddlesome, irresponsible’ resolution on terrorist riots

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the European Parliament lacks moral standing on human rights issues due to its members’ support for cruel sanctions against Tehran.

Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs later reported that 3,117 people died during the unrest, including 2,427 civilians and security personnel, noting that many innocents were killed by organized terrorist elements.

According to a statement by Iran’s Security Council, the peak of the violence came on January 8 and 9, when attackers carried out “Daesh-style crimes,” including beheadings, stabbings and burning people alive, alongside systematic assaults on bazaars, shops, banks, mosques, hospitals, ambulances and other public infrastructure.

At the end of the Friday session, the Council approved what it called an “urgent investigation” into Iran’s handling of recent protests—raising questions over the timing, sponsors, and selectivity of the move.

The probe was authorized after the emergency session was pushed by a group of Western-backed states, even as Iran and several allies warned the process was politically driven rather than rights-based.

The resolution passed with limited consensus—25 votes in favor, seven against, and 14 abstentions.

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