Tehran says adequate reasons and evidence have to be cited in United Nations reports on human rights, whereas the recent report on Iran is not based on reliable and well-documented proofs, which explains why it is "legally incredible".
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham made the remarks on Sunday in response to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran presented to the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly, IRNA reported.
According to Afkham, Iran had provided irrefutable facts regarding the claims made in the draft of the report, which were expected to be taken into account while compiling the final document.
Politically Tainted
Rejecting the allegations, Afkham stressed, "Ban Ki-moon's report has misjudged the human rights situation in Iran as it has been prepared with political intentions."
The UN report alleges that application of the death penalty, including in relation to drug-related offences and executions in public, has continued at an alarmingly high rate. In addition, it claims journalists, human rights defenders and women's rights activists have continued to face arrest, detention and prosecution for exercising their profession.
Furthermore, the document claims the situation of women's rights remains as a major concern, in particular in the light of the underrepresentation of women in the labor force and in decision-making positions. Highlighting the destructive impact of unfair sanctions on human rights, Afkham said Iran's remarkable achievements in women-related activities as well as fighting drug trafficking invalidate the charges.
"Complying with international norms to promote standards concerning human rights is high on the list of our priorities," she noted, adding that Iran is making considerable efforts to boost its cooperation with the world body.
The report also states that the Iranian government has continued to engage constructively with the UN treaty bodies and submitted its periodic reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In addition, Iran has been actively involved in the Universal Periodic Review program which is a unique process involving a review of the human rights records of all UN member states.
