Iran Foreign Ministry Terms Shaheed Report As Political, Biased

Tehran, Oct 13, IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Ministry termed the report of the UNHCR Special Rapporteur Ahmad Shaheed as biased, politically motivated and repetitious. In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry made the remark on the third report issued by the United Nations Special Human Rights Rapporteur on Iran’s human rights situation. It noted that based on the Human Rights Council regulations regarding compiling reports by the UN special rapporteurs, the reports should be built on principles of impartiality, enjoying solid documents, avoiding political tendencies as well as having technological and scholarly bases. The statement also expressed regret that the report not only violates the bases of international regulations and norms but contains material that is repetitive, biased and absolutely politically-motivated. It noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran voiced its objection to the political and biased manner Shaheed uses in compiling his reports on human rights situation in Iran and also his violations of Human Rights Council regulations to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his recent visit to Tehran. The Foreign Ministry added that Shaheed’s report carries claims which have already received responses from Iran. It also said the report uses sources which are opposed and hostile to Iran, resulting in producing a report that is artificial and far from realities of the Iranian society, thus lacking any kind of legal authenticity. It added that the UN special rapporteur has refrained from mentioning Iran’s responses and documents in his reports and fallen short of observing the basic principle of impartiality. The Foreign Ministry statement also said that what is apparent from the contents of the report is the influence of the hostile policies of the US and its western allies regarding the issue. In his third report on human rights situation in Iran issued on Thursday, Shaheed has said the cases of human rights violations in Iran are alarming./end