2/ I was astonished to learn that European Parliament represenatives of @Left_EU @GreensEFA & @TheProgressives tried to stop my testimony and the hearing, and when that failed, they have now initiated removal of cameras tomorrow to prevent any public broadcast of my testimony.

3/ I'm told the removal of cameras is an extremely rare occurrence for this kind of hearing when the invited witness has not himself made the request. In this case, bizarrely, it is MEPs of the working group of the foreign affairs committee who are trying to keep it secret.

4/ EU voters are paying more than €100 million year to UNRWA. They have a right to know how their taxes are being used, and what they are funding at UNRWA. Forcing evidence to be hidden contradicts basic democratic principles of transparency and accountability.

5/ United Nations Watch is calling on the MEPs from the Left Group, the Greens/EFA and the Socialists and Democrats to reconsider their position, and to allow my testimony at tomorrow's European Parliament hearing to be public, not hidden.
@Left_EU @GreensEFA @TheProgressives

Bravo to my 🇨🇦 Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather for his moral clarity.

Iran's Presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament

Testimony delivered before the UN Human Rights Council

Mr. President, the United Nations and this Council are charged with protecting the right to life, the right to be free from torture, the rights of women to be treated equally.

Today we ask: Is the Council protecting these basic human rights for the people of Iran?

In September 2009, we came here with political prisoner Ahmad Batabi and activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam, to demand an urgent session on Iran.

We pressed again and again for 13 years.

Finally, on 24 November 2022, this Council met and created a fact -finding mission into Tehran's bloody crackdown on protesters, in wake of the death of Mahsa Amini.

Now, we've all seen the report released one week ago.

The mission found many serious human rights abuses amounting to crimes against humanity — including murder, imprisonment, torture, rape, persecution, forced disappearances, and other inhumane acts, committed as part of a widespread systematic attack against a civilian population, namely women and girls.

Today we ask: By what logic, by what morality, was this Islamic Republic of Iran named in November as Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum? How will we explain this to the women tortured and raped in Evin prison?

This same Islamic Republic of Iran sponsors terrorism and illegally seeks a nuclear weapon. Why is it in this very building on Monday, the Islamic Republic of Iran will become President of the UN Conference on Disarmament?

By what logic and morality can a terrorist government be named head of a global body charged with disarmament?

📍actionnetwork.org/petitions/walk…

Cover-up: Catherine Colonna's “independent review” into UNRWA's support for terrorism is an orchestrated whitewash. She says UNRWA has “serious mechanisms in place to ensure respect for the principle of neutrality.” The opposite is true. 🧵

3/ UN said explicitly that @MinColonna was named not to expose UNRWA wrongdoing and support for terrorism but rather “to reassure donors.”

Feb. 21: “This is why he is named Catherine Colonna to do this independent review, to reassure those donors who have who may have doubts.”

4/ Colonna admitted it: “The aim of this important and delicate mission, entrusted to us by the Secretary General, is to enable donors, the largest among them, but in fact everyone, to regain confidence in the way UNRWA operates, when they have lost it or when they have doubts.”

UNRWA: Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Was One of Our Teachers

Ahmad Oueidat, UNRWA’s former Director of Professional Development and Curriculum: “UNRWA has tried to constitute a national platform and a long arm which would enable the Palestinian refugees to obtain their rights and first and foremost the Right of Return.”

"But what happened was the [West] saw that UNRWA was raising thousands and thousands of cadres, who could gradually contribute to the development of Palestinian society.”

“They saw that the UNRWA schools were giving rise to leaders. Many familiar names of politicians and leaders. First and foremost, we can mention Ismail Haniyeh, who was an UNRWA teacher, and so was Dr. Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the PFLP-GC.”

“The Israelis, the Americans, and the Western politicians felt that as long as UNRWA upholds its goals, it constitutes a source of danger. This is why they decided to corrupt it.”

"They planted [in the curricula] topics that have nothing to do with our values and our heritage, under the fancy slogans like neutrality, independence, impartiality, and humanity – as if UNRWA was not humane and neutral before.”

Source: Al-Hiwar TV, March 14, 2024, translated by @MEMRIReports memri.org/tv/fmr-unrwa-o…

Remember: the unprecedented assault against Israel was perpetrated by the Islamic Regime in Iran—not the people of Iran who are also subjugated by the same murderous mollahs. Iran has been hijacked by this evil regime. The vast majority in Iran hate the regime and support Israel.

My hometown Montreal was a beautiful city. Great people, great spirit, bilingual, multicultural. But something terrible is going on. In recent months, there were multiple shootings and Molotov cocktails targeting Jewish schools and community centers. Now they openly cheer Sinwar.

.@SecBlinken There is little time left to free Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who endures solitary confinement in a Siberian maximum-security prison. His health is in grave danger. We call on you to designate Mr. Kara-Murza as unlawfully detained and secure his freedom.