MP: UN Chief Looks for Excuse to Retain Anti-Iran Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - An Iranian legislator censured the United Nations secretary general for his remarks on freedom of expression in Iran, calling that a move to pave the way for keeping anti-Iran sanctions in place under the human rights pretexts.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Ahmad Bakhshayesh slammed the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s recent comments on Iran as a plot to exaggerate the issue of human rights in the country.
The lawmaker described Ban’s anti-Iran remarks as part of a broader plan to maintain the unilateral sanctions on Tehran in place, because the westerners feel that the standoff on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is gently being resolved.
The recent scenario is a prelude to more sanctions against Iran in the future on the pretext that human rights are not observed in the Islamic Republic, Bakhshayesh explained.
His comments came after Ban in a report to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday accused Iran’s president of failing to fulfill his campaign promises to allow greater freedom of expression.
"The new administration has not made any significant improvement in the promotion and protection of freedom of expression and opinion, despite pledges made by the president during his campaign and after his swearing in," Ban said.
"Both offline and online (news) outlets continue to face restrictions including closure," he added.
This comes as the global body has so far adopted a neutral stance on the innumerable cases of human rights violation inside the US.