Iran's New Reaction to Ahmed Shaheed: 'Unfair and Unscientific' Report

In another critical reaction from the Islamic Republic, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the latest report by Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, and his performance as 'unfair and unscientific.' According to the IRIB news agency, Marzieh Afkham, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, on Saturday, March 13, also accused Mr. Shaheed of basing his work on 'incorrect, illegal, biased, and prejudiced methods,' which she claimed are 'beyond the mandate of the Human Rights Council's mission.' Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, in his annual report to the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, March 11, once again urged the Islamic Republic to abolish laws restricting freedom of expression and media, release imprisoned journalists and bloggers, and end the jamming of satellites and blocking of websites. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson further stated: 'His remarks and parts of the report mentioned are presented unilaterally, detached from realities, and without adhering to the regulations of the duties of the officers by the Human Rights Council.' Ms. Afkham said that 'it has unfortunately become clear that there is a will beyond and outside the UN human rights mechanisms involved in the preparation of the report on Iran.' She added: 'Iran views the unfair and unscientific performance of the Special Rapporteur with serious doubt regarding adherence to international principles and standards.' In his recent report, Mr. Shaheed identified 'reforming laws and policies that undermine or violate recognized international rights and standards' as 'main priorities' for improving the human rights situation in Iran. The UN Special Rapporteur also criticized that the Islamic Republic executed 753 people last year, half of whom were for drug-related offenses. According to Mr. Shaheed, this number of executions in Iran has been unprecedented since 2002. Ms. Afkham, in her continued reaction to this report, stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is well aware of its national and international commitments regarding human rights and has always had 'good and extensive cooperation' with international mechanisms in this regard. She emphasized: 'The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to its obligation to comprehensively promote citizens' rights and has taken very important actions in this regard, including in the areas of promoting citizenship rights, minority rights, and women's rights.' The Iranian delegation at the Human Rights Council had postponed the decision on accepting or rejecting human rights proposals from 108 countries around the world to March 2015. The proposals submitted by 108 countries to Iran include various issues, such as 'abolishing the death penalty for children, abolishing the punishment for homosexuality, abolishing stoning, internet freedom, lifting press censorship, and expanding freedom of expression.' 'Improving the status of women and enhancing their participation in society, addressing prisoners' rights and their right to have a lawyer, improving prisoners' conditions, ending forced confessions as torture, freedom of assembly, releasing political prisoners, freeing imprisoned religious minorities such as Baha'is, addressing Baha'i rights, combating domestic and sexual violence, and freeing imprisoned journalists' are other proposals that member countries of the Human Rights Council have called for the Iranian government to implement.