Iranian Spokesman: UN Special Rapporteur’s Report Lacks Credibility

In response to a Thursday report of Asma Jahangir to the Third Committee of the UN, Qassemi said the Islamic Republic of Iran has a principled stance on the UN special rapporteur and the politically motivated reports she submits to the General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council.

“Accordingly, we believe that the reports of the special rapporteur are developed and submitted based on an unjust and unfair resolution which is rooted in political and malevolent intentions of a few certain and prejudiced countries and therefore, they lack legitimacy and credibility,” he noted.

The spokesman also pointed to Iran’s official response to the report and said, “Our official response to the report has been submitted to the (UN) General Assembly and registered as a document.”

In her latest report, Asma Jahangir claimed that there had been little change in the situation in Iran over the past year, alleging that journalists are harassed in the country and that progress on women’s rights was extremely slow.

Jahangir, from Pakistan, was designated as the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran by the UN Human Rights Council in September 2016.

Tehran has frequently reiterated that it basically disapproves of appointment of a UN special rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Iran, saying what is more ridiculous is that Saudi Arabia assigns such rapporteurs.