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39th session of the Human Rights Council

Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Item 4

18 September 2018

Delivered by Iceland

Mr. President,

Iceland is very concerned about the situation in Nicaragua, where OHCHR has reported  some 400 people have been killed because of a police campaign of extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearances; widespread ill-treatment, and instances of torture and sexual violence, as well as other human rights violations. We regret the decision by the Government to cease cooperation with OHCHR after the publication of its report. 

The situation in Venezuela is also of great concern, with reports that more than two million people have fled the country, with those numbers expanding day by day, and that those remain may be suffering from extreme effects of poverty, including malnutrition and health problems. Iceland will support a resolution in this Council which seeks to address the situation there.

Mr. President,

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It goes without saying, in our view, that women should be allowed to enjoy their full human rights. Therefore, reports of a recent serious crackdown on human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, especially defenders of women´s rights, are of great concern to us.

Iceland is opposed to the use of the death penalty under any circumstance but reports of the use of the death penalty by Saudi authorities to silence those who seek to enjoy their full human rights is deplorable in our opinion. 

Mr. President,

In Iran, Iceland finds the continued use of the death penalty for juvenile offenders very troubling. The arrests and ill-treatment of human rights defenders in Iran is also of concern and we would like to stress that freedom of expression is one of the fundamental principles imbued in every living person, in our view.

I thank you.