Iran says US court decision over damages to Alinejad “banditry”

Nasser Kanaani said on Monday Iran “does not accept the US banditry against the assets of other countries”, adding, “the US vicious act is totally illegal and illegitimate.”

Kanaani said, “Using its domestic laws, the US issues rulings against other countries, plundering their financial resources. This behavior runs counter to the dignity of the UN member states and is a violation of international law.”

A US federal court has reportedly ruled that Iran should pay over $3.3 million in damages to the US-based Iranian opposition figure Masih Alinejad “for detaining her brother.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, in other comments, spoke about a measure by some western countries to form of a fact-finding mission that has accused Iran of “violating human rights.” Kanaani said, “The action by the western countries is a clear example of politicizing the important issue of human rights, and instrumentally using the UN human rights mechanisms.”

“Those governments that provoked the unrest in Iran (last year) have created this illegal committee, and are themselves now facing the similar situation, repressing the protestors inside their countries. These countries are initiating such mechanisms; we do not accept double standards,” said the Foreign Ministry spokesman.