UN panel: minorities in Iran face discrimination

AP

GENEVA — A United Nations panel says Arabs, Kurds and other minorities in Iran face discrimination because of their ethnicity.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination says minorities in the Islamic republic don't enjoy the same rights to free expression, health and housing as other ethnic groups.

The panel published a report Friday urging Iran to end all forms of discrimination and provide clearer information for future reports.

The Geneva-based panel also rejected Iran's claims that discrimination against women and religious minorities such as the Baha'i isn't covered by the U.N.'s 1969 anti-racism convention.