UK criticism of human rights in Iran hypocritical: Iranian official

TEHRAN, May 2(MNA) - British criticism of Iran’s human-rights record is hypocritical, said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast on Tuesday. Mehmanparast was referring to British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s 2011 Human Rights and Democracy report, released on April 30 that stated, “There has been no improvement in the human rights situation in Iran in 2011, and in some areas there has been deterioration.” “We advise them (British officials) to stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries,” he said. “The violent crackdown on students’ protests in Tottenham, in north London last year and (the police’s) violent clashes with anti-capitalist protesters, signify that the human rights situation in Britain is very appalling, and the country’s officials should handle their own internal situation,” he stated. Mehmanparast added, “I advise human rights institutions to prepare a report on the latest human rights situation in Britain and inform the world’s people of the situation through the report.”