Countries request U.N. human rights debate on Iran

Germany and Iceland submitted a request on Friday on behalf of dozens of countries to hold a special session at the U.N. Human Rights Council on the ongoing protests in Iran later this month, a document showed.
The request called for the session “to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially with respect to women and children,” according to the letter signed by the two countries’ ambassadors.
Anti-government demonstrations began in September after the death of a Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code imposed on women. They have since grown into a popular revolt and rights groups say hundreds of protesters have been killed in the government crackdown. The government has blamed Amini’s death on preexisting medical problems.
At least one-third of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s voting members supported the proposal, as is required for meetings outside of the body’s normal agenda, meaning its convening is a formality.