Iran Asks UNHR Council To Avoid Political Stances

Geneva, March 16, IRNA – Visiting Head of Tehran Judiciary Alireza Avaei asked UN Human Rights Council to avoid political stances towards various countries. Avaei made the remarks in United Nations Human Rights Council’s 22nd Session in Geneva on Friday. The Human Rights Council’s 22nd Session began on February 25 and will conclude on March 22. Criticizing the politically motivated propaganda against the Islamic Republic in case of human rights issues, Avaei noted that Tehran’s approach in human rights issues is progressive. “Iran welcomes boosting the role of international institutions supportive of human rights; international human rights bodies including the UN Human Rights Council should avoid taking political positions towards various countries in a discriminative way.” He underlined that realization of international rules and regulations is the best way to progress forward in human rights. The UN Human Rights Council under the US pressure has always taken a political approach towards human rights developments in Iran. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran Ahmed Shaheed released his third report on Iran on October 11. The report was solely based on the claims of 221 people that were questioned from November 2011 to July 2012. Based on those claims Shaheed has accused Iran of human rights violations. Iranian officials have said before that Ahmed Shaheed has only parroted the unfounded allegations raised by anti-revolution elements against Iran since he had been tasked with accusing Iran. ˈSince the very first day that Ahmad Shaheed was introduced as the United Nations rapporteur (on Iran) we guessed that he was a an American agent, but his later reports assured us that he has been assigned to this mission by the US,ˈ Chairman of the Iranian parliamentˈs National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said to reporters in October. ˈAhmed Shaheed contacts anti-revolution elements instead of Iranian authorities to receive information and to prepare his reports, and acts in harmony with the Americans when compiling reports (on Iran),ˈ he added. Ahmed Shaheed has merely interviewed with foreign-based opposition groups from Iran, Member of the parliamentˈs National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mohammad Hassan Asafari said also late in October. ˈDid Ahmed Shaheed visit Iranˈs prisons?ˈ he questioned. He said that the report is full of ambiguities and such reports which are based on assumption of the western governments merely meet the desire of Zionist regime and the US. Ahmed Shaheed has no experience or record of activities in providing reports and in the past he has acted as Myanmar foreign minister, he said./end