‘US Biggest Violator of Iranian Nation’s Human Rights’

In a Thursday statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said while the US administration has a dark record of violating human rights inside and outside of America, in its annual report, it has pointed the finger at the human rights situation of other countries.

“The US administration has always been criticized for violating human rights by many other governments, public opinion, international NGOs, human rights activists and figures, the United Nations and its special rapporteurs and even groups inside the US,” he said.

The points mentioned in the US’ report regarding the human rights situation of Iran are based on politically-motivated, biased and wrong analyses and interpretations of some human rights developments in Iran, Qassemi said.

“The US administration, with its dark and unacceptable human rights record, is definitely not qualified enough to address human rights situation in Iran,” he noted.

The spokesman also underlined that through its unilateralism and certain policies and behaviours which stand in stark violation of international human rights standards as well as its disregard of international court rulings, the human rights reports of the UN rapporteurs and representatives, the US administration keeps resorting to bullying, arrogant and deceitful policies to pursue its politically-motivated goals and exert pressure on independent states to undermine their stability, security and development.

Qassemi then referred to the unilateral sanctions imposed by Washington on the Iranian nation and said the US administration is the biggest violator of the Iranian nation’s human rights.

“By imposing its unilateral, illegal and extra-regional sanctions on Iran, the US administration has spared no effort to violate the human rights of Iranian individuals.”

“Defying all international rights, particularly the international documents on human rights, and disregarding international court rulings and the views of independent international rapporteurs and representatives on human rights, the US administration resentfully insists on stepping up the sanctions and massively and starkly violating the Iranian nation’s human rights,” he noted.

Among other cases of human rights violations by the US administration, one can refer to Washington’s unlimited support for the Zionist regime’s violation of Palestinians’ most basic human rights, arbitrary detention of reporters under completely harsh conditions, sale of various types of cutting-edge weapons to some of its regional allies in the Middle East and backing them in their efforts to destabilize the region and their neighbours, and support for continuation of war on Yemen and aggravating the human crisis in the country, he added.

“Sooner or later, the US administration should be held accountable for its crimes,” he concluded.

In its annual report on human rights in the world, the US State Department singled out Iran, Venezuela and China for what it described as human rights violations.

“The government’s human rights record remained extremely poor and worsened in several key areas,” the report said about human rights situation in Iran.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that last year, “the regime killed over 20 people and arrested thousands without due process just for protesting for their rights.”