Iran’s Vice President, Ensiyeh Khazali, has arrived in New York City to join the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This session will last for 12 days, starting on Monday. Khazali plans to advocate for Israel's expulsion from CSW due to its actions against Palestinians in Gaza during the ongoing conflict.
In December 2022, the UN Economic and Social Council decided to ban Iran from CSW for four years until 2026. This decision came after protests demanding justice for Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in custody of the morality police in Tehran. Amini fell into a coma after reportedly being beaten by police for not wearing her headscarf properly. She passed away three days later.
US citizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the State Department for granting Khazali a visa. Some are urging the Biden administration to take a stronger stance against Tehran. Jason Brodsky, a policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), criticized the State Department's decision on social media, calling it "awful." He questioned why the US allowed Khazali to attend CSW after Iran's expulsion and the UN's findings of human rights violations. Brodsky argued that denying Khazali a visa could have sent a strong message against child marriage and the Iranian regime's suppression of its people.
