Iran has announced that it does not recognize the legitimacy of the appointment of a UN rapporteur on human rights in Iran.
Ahmad Shaheed, the UN rapporteur on Iran, recently released a new report on the state of human rights in Iran.
IRNA reports that the spokeswoman for the foreign ministry announced that the report is “biased and politically motivated” and rejected its legitimacy as a fair report on the state of human rights in Iran.
Marzieh Afkham added that the very appointment of the UN rapporteur on Iran was politically motivated, pursued by certain countries with “unjust and politically motivated agendas against Iran.”
Ahmad Shaheed's report consists of 137 interviews and alleges concerns about the rising number of executions, the fate of hundreds of political prisoners, obstacles to freedom of expression, the press and journalists, as well as the violation of religious and ethnic minority rights.
Iran's spokesman for the judiciary as well as the Iranian envoy to the United Nations have accused Ahmad Shaheed of relying on “terrorist and militant groups” as his source of information.
Marzeih Afkham has also criticized Ahmad’s report for containing no mention of the “progressive developments” in the country, referring to the June presidential election, which saw the people vote reformist candidate Hassan Rohani into power.
