Attacks on Nakba Day protestors – Letter from Iran

Identical letters dated 17 May 2011 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council 

  As you are well aware, on 15 May 2011, the Israeli regime committed yet another criminal act by massacring scores of innocent Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese who were expressing their outrage against the occupying regime on the occasion of Nakba Day. 

 This mass killing happened as the people in the occupied lands were marking Nakba Day through peaceful protests at the Syrian Golan Heights, Lebanon, Ramallah and Gaza borders. They came to demonstrate their opposition to the enduring unlawful occupation of their land by the Israeli regime. The Israeli forces reacted very harshly by opening fire on people who had come to demand their fundamental right to live in their own land in peace and free from occupation. 

 The violent attack against peaceful demonstrators is surely an appalling act of violation of human rights — first and foremost the right to life, as the most basic human right. This criminal act adds yet another crime to the long list of atrocities this regime has committed in pursuance of its policies and acts of aggression, occupation, assassinations, State terrorism, torture, kidnapping and practically all kinds of criminal and abhorrent atrocities committed in violation of the most basic principles of human rights, international humanitarian law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter. 

 The international community has, in many instances, stood firm and clear in the face of these criminal practices of the Israeli regime. However, serious and concrete measures are needed to counter the atrocious behaviour of this occupying regime. The United Nations should react and heed this call and take resolute actions in response to the violations of the most basic human rights and international humanitarian law committed systematically by the Israeli regime. 

 It would be appreciated if the present letter could be circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 37, 52, 67 and 68, and of the Security Council. 

____________