Judiciary Calls for 'Decisive Response' from Government to US Human Rights Report

Three days after the release of the US State Department's human rights report criticizing human rights violations in Iran and the 'lack of free elections', the head of Iran's judiciary called the report 'baseless' and demanded a 'decisive response' from the government. Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, the head of Iran's judiciary, on Monday, March 6, criticized the US State Department's report regarding the role of the Guardian Council in conducting presidential elections in Iran, stating: 'Regardless of who becomes president in our country, we consider such claims an insult to the government and people of Iran, and we ask the government to provide a decisive response to such insulting claims at higher levels, in addition to the usual statements from the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.' The annual report from the US State Department, published on Saturday, March 4, referred to the electoral process in Iran and the vetting of candidates by the Guardian Council, noting that according to the UN Special Rapporteur's report, some presidential candidates were disqualified due to their participation in the protests of 2009. The report also emphasized the absence of foreign observers and pointed to 'clear manipulation of votes' in the elections. The head of the judiciary on Monday described human rights reports against the Islamic Republic as based on false news from 'anti-revolutionary individuals and groups' and 'terrorists fleeing the country', adding: 'Americans, who are directly and indirectly involved in various crimes against human rights in Vietnam, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and other parts of the world, have no right to make human rights claims against Iran.' Previously, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the latest US report on human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, accusing the US government of having a 'very bad and dark record' in the field of human rights itself. This is a common response from Iranian officials to criticisms of human rights in Iran: either accusing countries of interference or stating that those countries have worse situations. One of the criticisms from the US regarding human rights violations in Iran relates to severe restrictions on civil liberties, including freedom of expression, assembly, religion, and the media. Other issues mentioned by the US include the lack of fair trial procedures and the death penalty for crimes that do not warrant such punishment under fair trial standards, as well as the inhumane execution methods and 'inhumane conditions' for prisoners who are arbitrarily and illegally detained, tortured, or killed. The report also criticized the Islamic Republic's approach to religious and ethnic minorities, stating that in 2016, the Iranian government used violence against women, religious and ethnic minorities, and homosexuals. However, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that 'the recent US action regarding the ban on Muslim entry into the US and creating disturbances for Muslim families in that country' is another example of human rights violations in the United States.