Iran's Reaction to U.S. Report on Human Rights Situation

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the latest report by the U.S. State Department regarding human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, accusing the U.S. government of having a "very bad and dark record" in the field of human rights itself. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson, stated on Saturday, March 5, that the U.S. government, due to its "very bad and dark record domestically and internationally, is not in a position to comment on the human rights situation in other countries." This is a typical response from Iranian officials to criticisms regarding human rights in Iran: they either accuse countries of interference or claim that those countries have worse situations. However, it is not only the U.S. government that labels the Islamic Republic as a human rights violator. Many international and non-governmental organizations advocating for human rights, such as Amnesty International and the United Nations, also make similar accusations against Iran, and the Islamic Republic is one of the few governments in the world for which the United Nations has appointed a special rapporteur to investigate human rights violations. Despite this, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that "the U.S. government does not have such a position and right and cannot and should not imagine itself in a position to judge the global human rights situation in a one-sided and completely political manner." The U.S. State Department, in its report on the human rights situation for 2016, which was published on Saturday, once again criticized human rights violations in Iran. One of the criticisms from the U.S. regarding human rights violations in Iran pertains to severe restrictions on civil liberties, including freedom of expression, assembly, religion, and the media. Other issues mentioned by the U.S. 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 manner of carrying out punishments and "in a way that is beneath human dignity" for prisoners who are arbitrarily and unlawfully detained, tortured, or killed. The report also criticizes political violence and the disappearance of opponents, stating: "Citizens (of Iran) face restrictions in determining their government through peaceful and free and fair elections." The U.S. State Department's report for 2016 also criticized the conditions of prisons in Iran. The report further criticized the Islamic Republic's approach towards 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 claims that "the recent action by the U.S. regarding the ban on the entry of Muslims into the U.S. and creating disturbances for Muslim families in that country" is another instance of human rights violations in the United States. In this context, Araqchi deemed the human rights resolution against Iran as "completely unfounded."