Foreign Ministry Dismisses Copithorne's Human Rights Report
October 19, 2000 - 0:0
TEHRAN Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamidreza Assefi on Wednesday dismissed as "unacceptable" a report by the UN Human Rights Commission on condition of human rights in Iran.
Assefi further described as baseless the claims made in a report by UN Human Rights Commission rapporteur Maurice Copithorne, adding, "This quite biased report has been an instance of interference in Iran's internal affairs and has been filed regardless of positive developments taking place in Iran in the course of its stability." "Unfortunately," Assefi stressed, "the report has been based on biased sources and double standard criteria, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will offer its standpoints and detailed answer to the United Nations." On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan handed over Copithorne's report to the UN General Assembly, and Copithorne is to attend the UN Third Committee on Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs on November 1 to give the necessary explanations to the members of the committee.
In his report, Copithorne claimed that progress on human rights in Iran this year has been overshadowed, notably by what he claimed to be attacks on press freedom and a high number of executions.
"But," he said, "electoral democracy continues to grow", and that there were signs indicating the new Parliament would tackle questions such as divorce and the minimum age for marriage.
Assefi further described as baseless the claims made in a report by UN Human Rights Commission rapporteur Maurice Copithorne, adding, "This quite biased report has been an instance of interference in Iran's internal affairs and has been filed regardless of positive developments taking place in Iran in the course of its stability." "Unfortunately," Assefi stressed, "the report has been based on biased sources and double standard criteria, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will offer its standpoints and detailed answer to the United Nations." On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan handed over Copithorne's report to the UN General Assembly, and Copithorne is to attend the UN Third Committee on Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs on November 1 to give the necessary explanations to the members of the committee.
In his report, Copithorne claimed that progress on human rights in Iran this year has been overshadowed, notably by what he claimed to be attacks on press freedom and a high number of executions.
"But," he said, "electoral democracy continues to grow", and that there were signs indicating the new Parliament would tackle questions such as divorce and the minimum age for marriage.