Also cited were torture, cruel and degrading treatment in detention; the targeting of human rights defenders; pervasive violence against women; the systematic and serious restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly and severe limitations and restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland welcomed the approval of the resolution by the General Assembly: "This record 89 votes demonstrates a growing international consensus against the increasing repression and rampant human rights violations carried out by the Iranian regime." "While Tehran attempts to whitewash its record through repeated denials of UN-documented abuses," said State Department spokesperson Nuland, "international bodies, including the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran appointed by the Human Rights Council in 2011, continue to highlight ongoing torture, repression of individual expression and religious freedom, and the ongoing detention of all who dares to speak out against the regime."