Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 18
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afgham, as well as the country's Human Rights chief Mohammad Javad Larijani have said that diplomatic and judiciary officials of the country held meetings with the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Ahmed Shaheed.
"There have been talks at the level of our envoys and the delegations that have traveled to Geneva and New York with Ahmed Shaheed," Afkham said Wednesday.
Positions have been frankly conveyed to him and his unreal reports and documents were criticized, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said, ISNA news agency reported March 18.
Larijani had said one day earlier that Iranian officials from diplomatic and judiciary organizations had held meetings with Shaheed.
The two did not reveal any more details about the meetings.
Ahmed Shaheed was appointed on 28 March 2014 for the fourth year running as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Larijani called Shaheed's request for trip to Iran a "trade show" and stated that Iran has cooperated with the lawyer more than he deserves.
The UN says Iran has not allowed its rapporteurs inside its borders since 2005.
Maurice Copithorne, the Last UN rapporteur to have visited Iran, had said in an interview that he was not given permission to enter the country following his first report on Iran's human rights status.
Larijani also accused Shaheed of cooperating with terrorists.
He has found fault with the rapporteur by stating that Shaheed has failed to mention the assassination of 17,000 people by People's Mujahedeen of Iran group.
Tehran insists that the appointment of a UN special rapporteur on Iran 's human rights is a selective, politically motivated, and unacceptable move.
Larijani said in August 2013 that Shaheed behaves like an actor, not a reporter, as can be seen in his interviews and "shows".
He said that Shaheed has to adopt UN methodologies in making reports rather than basing his findings on anti-Iranian websites.
Edited by CN