Sunday 17 May 2015 - 21:51
Story Code : 164959
Human rights official rejects Ahmad Shaheed's report on executions in Iran
"Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly explained about its principled stance on the death penalty in its official responses in a reasonable way, it is regrettable that such allegations are still repeated," Larijani said in response to Ahmed Shaheed's report who claimed that Iran executed 340 people since the beginning of 2015.
The Iranian official noted that Shaheed's reports are unfortunately based on inaccurate information obtained from unreliable and fake sources.
Larijani called on Shaheed to provide corroborative documents about execution of 340 people in Iran if he has any.
"It is worth mentioning that the death penalty has been envisaged in the laws of many countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran and there is no international consensus over eliminating it (from the law)," he added.
Earlier this month, Larijani said that Iran has not banned visits by the UN Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights, including Ahmed Shaheed, if only they adhere to the codes of ethics and principles of professionalism.
"If the mechanisms of the human rights reports are observed, we have no problem with the presence of UN Human Rights rapporteurs, including Ahmed Shaheed, but we do not allow a misuse of these mechanisms against our country," Larijani said during a speech at the Judicial Sciences University in Tehran.
He pointed to the biased reports of Ahmed Shaheed, and said, "Ahmed Shaheed has in his reports called the terrorists who exploded a Hosseiniya (religious center) in Shiraz as human rights advocates or he termed the executions of three member of the Pejak terrorist group whose court hearings lasted five years as a human rights violation case and branded the terrorists as human rights supporters."
"We told Ahmed Shaheed to specify two accusations and come to Iran for investigating the same, but he said he wanted to investigate all accusations; he doesn't know that investigating several accusations takes several years and he wants to investigate them in a short period of time and right at once," he added.
He noted that Ahmed Shaheed should come and "tell us where we have violated the law or have not fulfilled our undertakings, in that case we will not have a problem with his visit as a human rights rapporteur".
In similar remarks in January, Larijani blasted Ahmed Shaheed for giving out biased reports against Tehran, saying that the country will not allow rapporteurs to misuse the reporting mechanism.
"We dont have any problem with the mechanism of reporting and agree with professional reporting based on the frameworks, but if anyone wants to misuse this mechanism, we will not allow him/her to visit (Iran)," Larijani said in the Northern city of Amol.
He lamented that Shaheed instead of keeping impartiality on Iran's human rights situation has taken hostile positions against the country since the very first day he has been appointed to the post.
"That person can no more remain the rapporteur (on Iran) since he is a media actor who has taken positions against the Islamic Republic," Larijani said.
Larijani has repeatedly lashed out at Shaheed for giving out a biased report against Tehran.
"Such a biased approach is in direct contradiction to the foundational principles of human rights," he said, addressing the 20th session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, Switzerland, in October.
Larijani, however, said that Iran had made significant achievements with regard to human rights situation in recent years.
He described the UN resolutions against Iran and the appointment of a special UN rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran as some of the challenges that the country was facing.
"Irans extensive efforts to improve the countrys human rights situation have faced serious challenges, including politically-motivated and meddling policies," Larijani added.
By Fars News Agency
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