Europe’s anti-Iran human rights statement typical of colonial mindset: Envoy

Iran’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva has lashed out at European states for making baseless accusations about the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic, saying slandering others is in line with certain Western countries' colonial mentality and their delusions of grandeur.

“It is regrettable that some countries preach to others about the need to respect human rights while they have forgotten their past and current crimes and are covering up the fact that much of the calamities of others is the outcome of their previous colonial policies and supremacist mindset,” Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh said at the 45th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He criticized Western countries’ approach to human rights issues and said such a policy would merely sow discord among states, pit them against each other and undermine human rights as a tool to achieve political purposes.

“Some European countries have turned the Human Rights Council into an arena for interference in the developing countries' affairs,” the Iranian diplomat pointed out.

He said the rule of law is necessary to protect and respect human rights, adding that it is unacceptable to exert pressure on other governments under the banner of human rights to change their internal legal system or interfere in their judicial cases.

Baghaei Hamaneh said dialog and cooperation based on the principle of neutrality and avoidance of smearing are the best way to realize the objectives of the Human Rights Council.

Reuters on Friday quoted three sources as saying that France's Foreign Ministry this week had summoned Iran's envoy over the country's human rights record signaling concern about what Paris called "serious and constant violations."

France’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said that "these concerns are shared by many partners, including Germany and the United Kingdom."

Separately, Germany on the same day issued a critical statement on Iran to the United Nations Human Rights Council on behalf of 47 countries.

The statement came as the three European countries strive to save a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with Iran despite vicious efforts by Washington to raise pressure on Tehran and kill the accord.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh dismissed as "unacceptable, baseless and selective" the joint statement by European countries, saying it is in fundamental contrast with approaches to promote the issue globally.

Iran says EU statement on its human rights situation ‘selective, unacceptable’

‘Iran regards the EU’s move to present the joint statement in the Human Rights Council as unacceptable.’

He said any abuse of human rights mechanism and interference in Iran’s internal affairs are by no means acceptable, adding, “This is not a new episode that some European countries remain indifferent and silent vis-à-vis the biggest [cases] of human rights violation [committed] by the very states and their allies.”

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