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FM Official: Iran will deny UN rapporteur entrance

Iran Materials 21 July 2011 13:09 (UTC +04:00)
The Islamic Republic will not allow the UN special Rapporteur on human rights to enter the country, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
FM Official: Iran will deny UN rapporteur entrance

The Islamic Republic will not allow the UN special Rapporteur on human rights to enter the country, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, Press TV reported.

"Appointing a UN special Rapporteur on human rights for Iran is a political and illegal move, and the Islamic Republic will not allow the envoy to enter the country under any circumstances," Mehmanparast said on Thursday.

"Unfortunately the human rights issue is the political tool of certain Western countries which have serious problems with regards to human rights and are accused of many cases of violating human rights," Mehmanparast added.The Iranian official added that appointing the UN special Rapporteur on human rights for Iran aims at mounting political pressure on Tehran.

In June the UN Human Rights Council named former Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed as its human rights investigator on Iran.

A resolution to appoint a special rapporteur to assess Iran's human rights situation was adopted at the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 24.

About 22 representatives of 47 Council members voted for the resolution: 7 - against, 14 abstained. Among the abstaining states were Russia, Pakistan and China. The members of the Human Rights Council called on Tehran to fully cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and to allow him entrance into the country.

In response, the Iranian delegation strongly rejected the appointment, accusing a number of member-states in using the UN Human Rights Council for political purposes against Iran.

The Human Rights Council founded in 2006 as part of the United Nations replaces the Commission on Human Rights. The council members are UN members, elected by the General Assembly.

Tehran blames Western governments, the US administration in particular, for violating international laws, disregard for the basic rights of their citizens and support for violation of human rights across the globe.

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