Iranian Official: UN Human Rights Rapporteur Lacks Independence
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian official took a swipe at the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran for his biased reports, lack of independence, and ignoring the suffering of Iranian patients under the cruel US sanctions.
Kazem Gharibabadi, secretary general of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, made the remarks on Sunday in reaction to Javaid Rehman’s disregard for a report compiled by a group of UN experts on the consequences of over-compliance of European countries, especially Sweden, with US’ anti-Iran sanctions and its impact on the basic rights of many Iranian patients.
"This deliberate inattention of the so-called rapporteur to the situation of the fundamental rights of Iranian patients, which are constantly being violated under US sanctions and due to compliance of some other countries (with those sanctions), has left no doubt about his partiality (in favor of rights violators) and his lack of dependence," Gharibabadi said.
Rehman’s behavior has put him among violators of the Iranian people's rights instead of being a defender of human rights in Iran, he added, Press TV reported.
"The fact that the rapporteur backs any political statement against Iran, takes part in rallies held by terrorist groups and bases his reports on partial and distorted information, but is not ready to see the real cases of violation of Iranians’ rights, proves beyond any doubt that the special rapporteur’s mission for Iran has been formulated on the basis of political criteria and must end,” Iran’s top rights official said.
A group of UN experts warned on October 19 that over-compliance with the US sanctions could strip Iranian patients of their human rights, particularly the right to health.
The experts raised the alarm, in the wake of a decision by a Swedish company to halt shipments to Iranian patients suffering from a severe and life-threatening rare skin condition – epidermolysis bullosa (EB) – which causes extremely painful wounds. The firm’s produced bandage reportedly offers the most effective treatment to alleviate pain and prevent life-threatening infections.
They emphasized that the Swedish company’s decision, along with the actions of the country’s government, violates their international responsibility to ensure the entire range of human rights.