Rowhani: "Human Rights draft on Iran hasty
Sunday, November 30, 2003
©2003 IranMania.com
Tehran, Nov 30, (Compiled by IRIB & AFP) -- The Secretary of Iran's General of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said Canada was hasty in drafting a human rights resolution at the United Nations condemning Iran.
Speaking to reporters, Rowhani added that the resolution, which was itself a pressure instrument, was uncalled for.
"Judgements and evaluation of human rights issues should not only be subject to western interpretation and as such the process is a two way street."
The resolution -- which condemns abuses including torture, suppression of free speech and discrimination against women -- was approved by the UN's human rights committee in New York.
Prior to the resolution at the UN we had begun a sincere cooperation with human rights institutions and had extended invitations to their officials to visit Iran.
The UN human rights committee Friday approved a Canadian-drafted resolution condemning the rights situation in Iran, expressing concern over alleged torture, violent methods of punishment and discrimination against religious minorities.
Widespread support for the measure means its formal adoption by the UN General Assembly is all but guaranteed, so there is little chance Iran will escape damaging formal condemnation from the world body.
The resolution on rights comes at the worst possible time for Iran, as it battles to improve a tarnished image on the world stage and strengthen ties with the European Union.
As far as we are concerned dialogue is the most appropriate approach to this issue and the current approach is unsatisfactory, Rowhani added.
It is possible that Canada has broached the matter because of the of Zahra Kazemi.
Kazemi died in July after being arrested for taking pictures outside Tehran's Evin prison, but her controversial case was not mentioned specifically in the resolution.
Canada's deputy UN ambassador Gilbert Laurin denied the move was in retaliation for the death of Canadian-Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi in custody in Tehran in July.
"It is an example of what is wrong with the human rights situation in Iran. Sadly, it is not the only case. There are too many others," Laurin said.
"The responsible institutions in Iran, including the judiciary are pursuing the issue until the perpetrators will be brought to justice," the secretary general of SNSC stated. "Internal debacles are also part of the problem fanning the flames of outside pressures."
On the issue of pilgrimage to Iraq and US accusations leveled at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC) he said "We recommend Iranian pilgrims not to go to holy cities in Iraq because of prevailing insecurity in that country."
The IRGC does not and will not have any activities in Iraq, Rowhani said adding security in Iraq is to Iran's benefit and any news regarding the involvement of Iranian state-organs in Iraq is totally "baseless."
Iran has offered Iraq a package of political and security assistance, after a landmark visit here by top members of the Iraqi Governing Council that also yielded a trade pact set to boost Iranian economic clout in its US-occupied neighbour.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami for the first time expressly recognised the US-backed interim Governing Council after meeting with Talabani. Previously, Iran has been content to officially consider the council a "step" toward putting power back in the hands of Iraqis and refused to recognise an authority installed by a foreign occupation.
Relations between Iran and Iraq, who fought a bloody eight-year war until 1988, have gradually improved since the US-led force ousted the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in April.
However relations between the coalition and Iran remain strained at best, amid a barrage of allegations from US officials that Iran is actively underming post-war security.
The BBC said on its website Talabani who heads the powerful Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) had told it Iran had agreed to help fight "terrorism" in Iraq, and had accepted that the current wave of attacks against US-led forces was not resistance to occupation but "the work of indiscriminate killers."
Iraq's interim Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said Iran had agreed to help tighten control along the long border between the two countries and try to prevent infiltration, according to the BBC.
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