Ashtiani case West’s propaganda

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says Western countries’ support for an Iranian woman convicted of adultery and complicity in murder shows their double standards.

Mottaki dismissed as propaganda the Western countries’ efforts to defend Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, saying the move was politically motivated.

He said that criminals should not be awarded or given refuge in another country.

Mottaki also slammed “the double standards” adopted by the West, saying those countries that violate the basic rights of humans in prisons like Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib should not portray themselves as advocates of human rights.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Press TV that defending a person on trial for murder should not be turned into a human rights matter.

“Ashtiani’s case is clearly a scenario written by the West to pressure Iran,” he said.

“They have tried to exploit this case, politicize it and turn it into a political charade.”