Envoy Rejects UN Human Rights Rapporteur's Report on Iran

Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations Zahra Ershadi delivered a speech to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly focusing on "item 74: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran", held on Monday.

In her speech, Ershadi rejected the country-specific resolutions as antithetical to the cause of human rights and counter-productive for its promotion.

What follows is the text of her speech:

“The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects country-specific resolutions as antithetical to the cause of human rights and counter-productive for its promotion. It only contributes to scapegoating the targeted country at the price of sidelining meaningful interaction and dialogue on human rights. The appointment of a special rapporteur for Iran is an unjust and politically-motivated scheme initiated by the West, especially Canada, in pursuance of its adversarial attitude against our nation. As such, the resolution and its ensuing mandate have only contributed to accumulation of disparaging clichés and malign stereotypes against Iran.

Underneath the Iranian soil lie the bodies of thousands of those who have sacrificed their precious lives to defend our nation and people during the imposed Saddam Hussein’s war against Iran whose financial resources, chemical weapons, tanks, aircrafts and even bullets were supplied by the same Western countries whose representatives are present in this session. But when you dig the grounds in Canada, you discover the remains of thousands of indigenous children who were sexually abused, killed and dumped in mass graves. How many statements have so far been delivered by the representatives of the countries criticizing my country about the vicious campaign of genocide in Canada? NONE. The West is instead leaving no stone unturned to continue the bitter legacy of Canada’s forced-assimilation, and acclimatize our high and decent human rights standards to those of itself. Rest assured, that is not going to happen.

Iran is determined to continue safeguarding its people against the threat of violent extremism and terrorism, rampant in our region principally due to addictive interventions, occupation and aggression by the United States and its allies and clients. It is a bitter irony, if not hypocritical, to pretend to care for human rights of the Iranians and feel relaxed and remain acquiescence vis-a-vis the United States’ unlawful and inhumane unilateral coercive measures, which are purposely attuned to take the heaviest toll on innocent children, women and men in need of medicine and medical care. The Special Rapporteur is also hesitant to condemn or even express concerns about unlawful and inhumane unilateral coercive measures.

Protection and promotion of human rights should be a common cause for all of us. However, the abuse of human rights mechanisms to selectively harass countries enjoying constant progress in the field of human rights, compromises the sense of solidarity and strips this lofty cause of its humane meaning. While we have every reason to genuinely question the existence of any good face in appointing a special rapporteur for Iran’s human rights, we would not be distracted from serving our people by further deepening our truly democratic system of governance and by institutionalizing our accomplishments in terms of protection and promotion of human rights of our citizens.

We even have not shied away from talking frankly to the Special Rapporteur himself about the structural deficiencies and misleading contents of his report. We have also shared with him some of methodological deficits which are inconsistent with Resolution 5/2 on code of conduct for special procedure mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council as well as false allegations, absurd disinformation and hyperbolic exaggerations imported to his flawed report. We clarified to him for instance that capital punishment is only for the most serious crimes and is imposed through a very highly considered due process in accordance with laws. We have clarified to him that titles such as human rights defenders or dual nationality cannot bring impunity for the alleged offenders. Our endeavors and comments to enlighten the Special Rapporteur have fallen on deaf ears. Isn’t it because he wants to appease the so-called champions of human rights?

We regret that one of the main sources of the Special Rapporteur continues to be the same terrorist groups which have long been laundered by their supporters and portrayed as opposition and so-called human rights defenders. Making use of unofficial, biased vague sources coming from sworn enemies, and taking a selective approach towards human rights achievements in the Islamic Republic of Iran put a serious question mark over the validity and reliability of such a report. It is repugnant to glorify terrorists whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent citizens.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its genuine interaction with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other competent UN human rights mechanisms as well as other states to collaborate for the protection and promotion of human rights. The Islamic Republic of Iran is of the view that dialogue and cooperation based upon mutual respect and on an equal footing is the only way which guarantees promotion and protection of human rights at the international level. Such a mandate and report in question are only meant to weaponize human rights against certain countries.”