A senior judiciary official in a letter expressed regret over UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein's criticism of Iran's recent execution of a number of terrorist elements.
Hussein in a statement released on August 5 criticized Tehran for the execution of 20 terrorists, calling it "injustice".
Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary-general of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, on Sunday sent a letter to the UN official, regretting that the latter's statement ignores the scope of the terrorists' crimes and stressing that the Islamic Republic will spare no effort to ensure security for its people and continue its fight against terrorism within the country's borders and beyond, Tasnim News Agency reported.
In the letter, Larijani noted that Iran has been a victim of terrorism, sponsored by certain foreign governments, since the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and that the Islamic Republic has always taken firm steps in the fight against extremism and terrorism in the region.
Wrong Signal
The Iranian rights official said while the world is facing the serious threat of terrorism, international bodies, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, are expected to concentrate their efforts on fighting terrorism instead of making statements that not only do not conform to international documents on protecting human rights but send the wrong signals to terrorists.
Larijani further stressed that the terrorists who were recently executed in Iran had a fair trial.
"They had access to lawyers and the process of their trial lasted six years and the verdicts were issued following thorough investigations," he said, noting that all efforts were made to ensure their rights are protected.
The official then enumerated some of the crimes committed by the terrorists, including attempting to establish a takfiri terrorist group, armed assaults inside the country, killing civilians and assassinating some Sunni Muslim clerics, supplying various types of firearms, making explosives and planting bombs in different cities, armed robbery and kidnapping.
Takfiris are hardliners who accuse Muslims that do not follow their extreme interpretation of Islam of apostasy punishable by death.
He stressed that the judiciary is obligated to consider the rights of victims of terrorist activities and carry out sentences, when they are final, in order to uphold justice and ensure people's security.
Larijani deplored dual approaches in the fight against terrorism, saying it is expected that a common international resolve be developed and global efforts focus on eradicating terrorism in all its dimensions.
The Intelligence Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that the convicts, belonging to a terrorist cell, were executed after being sentenced to death for carrying out terrorist attacks in western Iran.
The Iranian forces have recently engaged in clashes with terror groups, thwarting their terrorist activities on the borders and within the country, arresting several of them and confiscating large amounts of explosives and bomb-making materials.
On July 7, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps killed two outlaws affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups in Kurdestan Province.
In the same month, the Intelligence Ministry said it had foiled a major "takfiri-Wahhabi" plot to carry out bomb attacks in the capital Tehran and other provinces and arrested many suspects.
