From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
Islamic Republic of Iran has responded to the report of plans for a national referendum in the territory of Palestine.
Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Alibak, in a statement in Abuja, said as a result of the continued expansionist policies and the illegal and inhumane practices of the Zionist regime, the oppressed people of Palestine have been deprived of their inalienable and imprescriptible rights and that their living conditions have deteriorated on a daily basis.
He said the necessity of exercising the right to self-determination by the indigenous people of a territory has been clarified fully in the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of 25 February 2019 on “the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius by UK.”
“According to this advisory opinion, a country that assumes the trusteeship of a non-self-governing territory cannot, at its own discretion and without observing the right of people to self-determination, detach a territory. As mentioned in this advisory opinion, any detachment that occurred without the consent of the indigenous people is null and void and other countries should avoid such acts. Likewise, noting resolution A/RES/194 (III) of 1948 of the United Nations General Assembly On the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland, this Plan includes all genuine Palestinians. Accordingly, holding a fair and inclusive referendum is the most basic mechanism for nations to achieve their right to self-determination,” Alibak said.
On the implementation of the plan, the Iranian envoy said it involved four phases, which were the enforcing of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their historical homeland, holding a national referendum among the people of Palestine, including the followers of all religions, who inhabited Palestine before the issuance of the Balfour Declaration, for the self-determination and determination of the political system.