Abuse of UN mechanisms in human rights issues ‘cause of shame’: Iran

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has denounced an anti-Iran resolution recently passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, saying the abuse of UN mechanisms is a cause of shame and embarrassment for supporters of the resolution.

The ministry spokesman, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, accused on Monday the supporters of the resolution, approved in the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, of adopting double standards and abusing UN mechanisms.

He said the passage of the anti-Iran resolution, presented by Sweden and backed by some Western countries, was based on “selective, biased, confrontational and politically motivated attitudes.”

“The approach taken by proponents of the resolution on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is extension of double standards that they apply to the human rights situation in countries, has led to the abuse of UN mechanisms, which is regrettable.”

Stressing that the Islamic Republic is a religious democracy, Mousavi said, “Iran has taken steps to develop and promote human rights at the  national, regional and international levels within the framework of its religious obligations, its constitution and ordinary laws, as well as international treaties.”

US in no position to comment on human rights: Iran

Iran has rejected the US State Department’s annual report on its human rights situation, saying Washington is in no position to give other countries prescription on the issue of human rights.

Expressing dismay at the fact that politicized and instrumental use of human rights and the application of double standards is becoming the norm in this field, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the quality of the reactions that these countries have shown to the suppression of anti-racism protests in the United States is a good benchmark for measuring and verifying their human rights concerns.

The 43rd session of the UNHCR was held on June 19. Fourteen resolutions were adopted, where the Council requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report on systemic racism and violations of international human rights law against Africans and people of African descent by law enforcement agencies, especially those incidents that resulted in the brutal murder of George Floyd.

The Council also extended the mandates on freedom of opinion and expression, migrants and minority issues.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has been under fire over their response to the latest round of ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests in the wake of Floyd’s death last month.

Black man’s killing proves systematic racism in US: Foreign Ministry spokesman

Iran

The death of Floyd on May 25 was captured on video while a white police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes in Minneapolis.

The killing has revived the debate about race relations in America and prompted minority groups across the country and other parts of the world to vent their long-felt indignation about police brutality, racial inequality and systemic racism.

Trump has branded the demonstrators as "terrorists" and "anarchists," threatening that those stoking chaos and fanning the flames of anti-government sentiments might be shot.

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