TEHRAN - The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday dismissed a Canadian-proposed resolution ratified by third committee of the UN General Assembly on the situation of human rights in Iran, condemning it as an example of exploiting human rights to advance political purposes.

The resolution was a mere repetition of “baseless accusations” against Iran drawn based on “misinformation” and “dishonest generalizations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.

Kanaani called the resolution “one-sided” and “unrealistic” and therefore lacks legitimacy.

“The move by the Canadian government and other supporters of the resolution is a clear example of misusing sublime concepts and values of human rights in order to advance short-sighted political goals,” he stated, Press TV reported.

“Such unconstructive measures not only will fail to help improve the human rights situation at a global level but will lead to constant recourse to negative stereotyping and political labeling against independent countries,” the spokesman added.

Pointing to attempts by the Western countries to spread Iranophobia and defame Iran, he said such states, which have a long record of systematic human rights violations, are not in a position to make recommendations to Iran on human rights.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is based on religious democracy and has always been very serious about promoting human rights and fulfilling its [relevant] international obligations,” Kanani said.

He added Iran is ready to “engage in dialogue and constructive cooperation based on its lofty principles in order to improve the human rights position in the world.”

Such dialogue should be based on “mutual respect, equality, justice and fairness,” free from political purposes, and within the framework of all legitimate international mechanisms aimed at improving and supporting human rights, the spokesman pointed out.

The General Assembly’s Third Committee on Wednesday approved the draft resolution titled “Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran” by 80 votes in favor, 28 against and 68 abstentions.

The draft resolution was proposed by Canada with the support of Western countries over claims of a violent “crackdown” on protesters in Iran.

Since mid-September, several Iranian cities have witnessed riots, which erupted amid protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, who fainted at a police station in Tehran and was pronounced dead three days later in hospital.

Many initially blamed police for the tragic death, but an official report by the Forensic Medicine concluded that her death was caused by illness rather than alleged blows to the head or other vital body organs.

Using the protests as a pretext, rioters and thugs went on a rampage, engaging in brutal attacks on security officers and committing acts of vandalism.

Iran clearly draws a line between peaceful protests and violent riots.

Persian speaking media outlets based in the West, mainly Iran International, BBC Persian, Manoto and VOA, have been inciting the youth through a vicious disinformation campaign.

'Resolution is based on flawed findings’

Zahra Ershadi, the deputy representative of Iran in the UN, also categorically rejected the draft resolution which she said has been drafted based on the incomplete report, flawed findings and biased behavior of the UN special rapporteur.

She said the sponsors of the resolution, who “claim to be champions of human rights in Iran, have a long record of blatant hypocrisy, double standards and instrumentalization of human rights for their agenda” and are not fit to preach.

She added some of those who pretended to protect human rights “should be reminded of their own crimes so they do not forget their true face, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Israeli regime and Germany.”

Brutality, callousness, arbitrary killings, genocide and ethnic cleansing are common characteristic of these countries, she noted.

The female diplomat added women and girls in Iran are fully aware of their rights and know how to interact with the government and there is no need for Western countries to claim support for them.