Tehran calls Ahmed Shaheed’s human rights report ‘invalid’

TEHRAN – The deputy head of the Iranian mission to the United Nations says that the report released by Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Iran, is “unjust, invalid, and unacceptable.”

Es’haq Ale-Habib has made the remarks at a recent meeting of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee) of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Ahmed Shaheed released a report on October 17, in which he wrote that human rights violations in Iran appear to be increasing.

The Iranian government strongly believes that the Special Rapporteur has ignored many achievements and positive developments regarding human rights in Iran, Ale-Habib said, adding the report is one-sided and unbalanced.

He also asserted that the report in based on unreliable sources and exaggerated claims and presents a distorted image of the human rights situation in Iran.

In addition, he said that the Islamic Republic is ready to provide the Special Rapporteur with credible information to help him prepare a fair, balanced, and well-documented report to be presented to the 19th session of the Human Rights Council.

The diplomat went on to say that the Islamic Republic is determined to cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and in line with this policy Iran has the intention of inviting two Special Rapporteurs in the year 2012.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ale-Habib said that the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Iran is the result of the politically motivated approach adopted by the United States and its European allies toward Iran, stating that the U.S., as the main enemy of the Islamic Republic, spares no effort to deceive the international community through providing misleading and false information.


(2011-10-22/tehrantimes)