The Iranian Foreign Ministry says the UN resolution passed on December 20 condemning human rights violations in Iran is “political” and “indicative of the deficiency of human rights mechanisms” in the international body.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said: “Unfortunately, as the trend in the past years goes, Western countries with initiatives from Canada and the U.S. and political aims and the unsubstantiated excuse of human rights violations proposed a resolution against our country, and in view of the widespread human rights violations being carried out in the very countries that proposed this resolution, it is clear that human rights mechanisms in the United Nations are inefficient and have a double standard in favour of Western countries.”
On Thursday December 20, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution about human rights violations in Iran, calling on the Islamic Republic government to end restrictions on freedom of speech, discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities and pressure on political activists.
The resolution was passed with 86 countries voting in favour, 32 against and 65 abstentions.
Iran denied the accusations of human rights violations within its borders, emphasizing that Western countries, the U.S. and Canada in particular, are human rights violators.
Mehmanparast went on to say: “The Islamic Republic, without any concern about such political interventionist actions, has moved firmly toward promoting respect for the rights of all strata of citizens and is of the opinion that the issue of human rights should not become the arena for the clash of countries and cultures.”
Mohammad Khazai, Iran’s representative in the United Nations, also criticized the UN resolution, saying: “Implementing hostile policies against the Islamic Republic will not resolve any problems.”
He went on to add that the UN resolution does not aim to promote human rights in Iran but rather is a way for certain countries to achieve the political aims that initiated the move.
