Iran said on Monday that the United States is leveling false allegations against other countries to distract attention away from its "interventionist" and "destabilizing" policies, which in fact have contributed terribly to the rise in human trafficking, particularly in West Asia and Africa.
In its annual Trafficking in Persons report released on June 28, the US State Department claimed that Iran remains among the worst offenders of human trafficking and forced labor, according to media reports.
"The government of Iran does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so," claimed the report, which was unveiled in Washington by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump.
*** Politically Motivated
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi rejected the report as "biased" and "politically motivated", saying that it made "unfounded" human trafficking accusations against Iran, ISNA reported.
"Through such measures, the US government is seeking to divert the world's attention away from its interventionist and destabilizing policies, which have paved the way for the formation and expansion of organized human trafficking networks across the world, especially in West Asia and Africa."
*** Unilateral Measures
The official said "unilateral" measures, such as ranking countries in "one-sided" reports and making "baseless" accusations against independent countries, are in contravention of international law.
"They also undermine international efforts and cooperation between governments aimed at combating such crimes," Qasemi said.
