Iran Criticizes US State Department's Annual Report on Human Trafficking

Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, criticized the US State Department's annual report on human trafficking on Wednesday, July 7, stating that the US lacks the necessary competence and legitimacy to provide such reports about other countries. The 17th annual report on human trafficking was unveiled the previous day in Washington, with the presence of Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State. The report emphasized that Iran has made 'no significant effort' to address the issue of human trafficking, citing examples such as sexual exploitation of girls in Tehran, Tabriz, and Astara. It also mentioned that Iranian girls are at risk of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in brothels in Iraqi Kurdistan, particularly in the city of Sulaymaniyah. In response, Qasemi stated that such reports are 'one-sided, biased, and based on double standards and political motives, prepared solely to tarnish the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' He further described the unilateral, interventionist, and aggressive policies of the US and some of its allies as the 'root cause of human trafficking.' He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the principles and teachings of Islam, possesses one of the most progressive constitutional and legislative frameworks for the protection of human dignity and rights. The US State Department's annual report examines the status of human trafficking in various countries worldwide, based on the 'Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act' enacted 17 years ago in the US. According to this law, countries are divided into three categories: 'Tier 1' for those fully complying with the law's requirements, 'Tier 2' for those not fully compliant but making efforts to improve, and 'Tier 3' for those whose actions are inconsistent with the law's minimum standards and making no efforts to improve. Iran has been classified in this last category.