UN chief vows to protect rights of Iranian survivals of terrorism

Tehran, IRNA – The United Nations Secretary-General said in a message to the conference on the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism held in Iran that the UN commits to protect the rights of survivors of terrorism. The conference was held on Tuesday in Tehran with the collaboration the Iranian Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism, the Iranian Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, and the United Nations Information Center. Inger Marie Vennize, the director of the United Nations Information Center, who attended the conference read out Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ message to the conference. Ms. Vennize quoted Guterres as saying that the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism is a day of reflection, recognition, and action. “We reflect on the pain and suffering of those who lost loved ones. We commit to support survivors scarred by heinous acts of terrorism by amplifying their voices, protecting their rights, and seeking justice,” the message added. Guterres also said that he looked forward to learning and hearing directly from survivors about their needs and challenges at the Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism next month. The Head of Human Rights Committee of the Iranian Parliament Zohreh Elahian called on parliamentary friendship groups around the globe to work together to pass a comprehensive act with the collaboration of NGOs to support victims of terrorism in their respective parliaments. Also in the conference, family members of Iranian victims of terrorism gave speeches on how their loved ones were murdered by terrorists and called on national and international authorities to fight terrorism. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish