The UN General Assembly's human rights committee has passed a resolution condemning the Iranian government for the crackdown on protests following the June presidential election.

The committee also criticized Tehran's human rights record and arbitrary arrests, and called for the release of political prisoners.

The resolution was passed on Friday with 74 votes in favor, 48 against, and 59 abstentions, and is likely to be approved at a United Nations plenary session.

UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee has criticized the resolution, saying such statements lead to confrontation.

The document, drafted by Canada, expresses "particular concern at the response of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Presidential election of 12 June 2009 and the concurrent rise in human rights violations."

Mass protests broke out after the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, amid opposition claims of mass vote rigging.

The resolution cites "harassment, intimidation and persecution, including by arbitrary arrest, detention or disappearance, of opposition members, journalists and other media representatives, bloggers, lawyers, clerics, human rights defenders, academics, students and others exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and association and freedom of opinion and expression, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries."

The UN committee also condemned the "escalation in the rate of executions in the months following the elections."