Iran Rejects UN Secretary-General's Human Rights Report

Tehran dismissed the UN Secretary-General's report on human rights violations in Iran, deeming it "invalid" and emphasizing that the report was prepared "with political objectives." According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry stated on Sunday, October 5, that "a report issued with the political goals of certain specific countries lacks legal validity." Marzieh Afkham noted that UN reports "should be based on credible and documented sources, while this report cites non-neutral, biased, and even malicious sources in multiple instances." Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, accused Iran of "widespread human rights violations" in a report to the 70th UN General Assembly. The report referenced "clear" violations of women's rights, government censorship and restrictions on media, internet filtering, limitations on freedom of expression, pressure on labor associations, discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, detention of activists and human rights defenders, public executions, and the issuance of death sentences for minors who committed crimes before the age of 18. However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that this report provides a "misjudgment" of the human rights situation in Iran and has "missed the opportunity for impartial evaluation and analysis." According to Afkham, the Secretary-General's report ignored issues such as "the effects of sanctions on human rights, Iran's advancements in women's related fields, the necessity of combating widespread drug trafficking, the diversity of civil society activities and NGOs in Iran, and the cultural, traditional, and religious roots of Iranians," which renders it "invalid and unsubstantiated." This official from the Iranian Foreign Ministry ultimately stated that the Islamic Republic "has been committed to promoting and supporting human rights through continuous cooperation with international mechanisms and is dedicated to expanding interactions with UN mechanisms." Ban Ki-moon had also stated in his report last year that the situation of freedom of expression and human rights in Iran has not significantly improved despite the election of President Rouhani, and Mr. Rouhani's promises in this regard have not been fulfilled.