The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran says that he has confidence in his report, adding that he sent the report to Iranian authorities three weeks ago and they have not responded.
Ahmad Shaheed made his comments at a press conference following the presentation of his report to the United Nations, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
The report criticizes Iranian authorities for “treatment of the opposition and civil activists, for arrests, lack of freedom of assembly, disregard of women’s and minority rights as well as a high frequency of executions.”
Shaheed described his methods of collecting data for this report, adding that while Islamic Republic authorities forbade him from traveling to Iran, he used various sources such as reliable organizations and individuals outside Iran.
He emphasized that he provided the report to the Iranian authorities to give them a chance to respond to the charges and challenge anything they disagree with. However, Iranian authorities were unresponsive.
He maintained hope that Iranian authorities will allow him to travel to Iran for subsequent reports but insisted that his current report is well documented.
Iran denies international accusations of human rights violations in Iran and has, therefore, opposed Shaheed’s requests to enter the country.
Shaheed’s report has been condemned by the head of Iran’s judiciary, among other officials, and he has been accused of bias toward the Islamic Republic’s enemies.
