Iran blasts using human rights mechanisms as tool

Iran strongly condemns using human rights resolutions and mechanisms as a tool after a UN panel adopts one such resolution targeting the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi blamed “certain Western countries, the occupying and infanticidal Zionist regime [of Israel], and some reactionary regional regimes,” for application of the human rights capacities in such a way, the Ministry reported on its website on Friday.

He said the resolution had been adopted by some governments, whom themselves were “the biggest violators of human rights in their own country and other countries.”

The resolution, the official said, had been adopted while “ignoring the realities inside Iran and based on a selective, discriminatory, ill-intentioned, and politically-charged attitude.”

 Iran slams UN ‘political charade’ on human rights

Iran’s deputy envoy to the UN has blasted as a “political charade” a UN resolution that accuses Tehran of violating human rights.

Such a trend would compromise the international community’s trust in international mechanisms and their efficacy, he added.

In contrast with such measures, the country lends credit to the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which would assess all countries without discrimination, Qassemi said.

Tehran’s constructive and active participation in the process reflected the Islamic Republic’s seriousness in enhancing human rights and acting on its international commitments in the area, he concluded.

The UN General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee adopted the resolution on Thursday, finding fault with Iran’s human rights performance in many areas, including Iran’s use of detention and death penalty, level of various freedoms inside the country, and its treatment of women.