Saudi UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi.

:: The Iranian people continue to suffer under an “unjust… system of darkness” that does not respect human rights, said the Saudi ambassador to the UN.

Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the report of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, submitted on Sept. 27, and the secretary-general’s report on Aug. 6, made clear that the country persecutes ethnic and religious minorities, including Sunni Muslim Balochis and Ahwazi Arabs.

“The Kingdom affirms the sovereign right of states to determine their judicial systems and penal provisions, while believing in the need to limit the application of death sentences to cases of extreme necessity,” he added.

He stressed the importance of a political solution to the Syrian conflict, establishing a transitional authority and drafting a new constitution guaranteeing justice for all Syrians. He also urged Myanmar’s civilian leadership to prove that it deserves the world’s respect and its people’s support by embracing all its citizens without discrimination or favoritism.