New York, Rabi'I 8, 1440, Nov 16, 2018, SPA -- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) reaffirmed that the report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights, in Iran, submitted on 27 September 2018 and the report of the Secretary-General on 6 August 2018 made it clear that Iranian people, continued to suffer under the weight of an unjustly priestly system of darkness, that does not respect human rights, confiscates freedoms and persecutes ethnic and religious minorities, including Sunni Muslim Baloch and Arab Ahwaz, in particular, in addition to other disadvantaged and oppressed groups, in Iran. This was unfolded, in a speech delivered by the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Ambassador Abdullah bin Yahiya Al-Maalami, before the Third Committee of the United Nations' meetings, on the promotion and protection of human rights, held on Thursday. The Iranian regime continues its policy of confiscating farmers' lands, including killing of twenty-one young Ahwazi, who were killed days ago after secret and suspicious trials. "In light of all the above, the Kingdom has to vote in favor of the UN resolution on the human rights situation in Iran," he said, adding that "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, in cases of extreme necessity." Iran also stresses the importance of Iran refraining from harboring terrorists and granting them safe haven, such fugitive Hezbollah, IS and Qaeda network fighters, he pointed out. He stressed Iran's behavior of persecution of Sunni and ethnic minorities and concluded by explaining that such conduct is an extension of its aggressive behavior and approach to ethnic cleansing, in Syria, support for the Houthi rebels, in Yemen, embrace of the terrorist Hezbollah, in Lebanon, and sponsoring of terrorist acts, around the world. -- SPA 21:40 LOCAL TIME 18:40 GMT 0020 www.spa.gov.sa/w788462