TEHRAN Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said on Wednesday the allegation made by the U.S. State Department in its annual report about absence of religious freedom in Iran is unfounded and repetitive.
He said the U.S. State Department repeats the same allegations against Iran every year which emanated from lack of knowledge about human rights situation in Iran and especially the freedom of religious minorities being observed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He said the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly dismisses any kind of interference in its domestic affairs adding that according to the Islamic beliefs and the constitution of the Islamic Republic and the national and international commitments, the citizen rights of the Iranians including the religious minorities are fully respected.
Assefi said the religious minorities have distanced themselves from the allegations in this respect which indicated that the report has been politically-motivated.
The U.S. on Tuesday blasted China, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran and others accusing them to persecute people for their religious faith and practices.
Meanwhile, China on Wednesday termed the U.S. report as a "fabrication", Reuters said.
The criticism of China's treatment of Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong spiritual practitioners and members of unregistered groups came in the second annual report on religious freedom written by the U.S. State Department by order of lawmakers.
"This blatantly interferes in China's internal affairs," state radio quoted Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sun Yuxi as saying.