Iran Criticizes US Human Rights Report as Hypocritical, Urges US to Address Own Issues

Iran's Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized the 2023 US State Department human rights report, labeling it as "unrealistic and hypocritical." The ministry urged the United States to address its own human rights issues before pointing fingers at other nations.

The US report highlighted various human rights violations in Iran, including the government's violent suppression of protests and discrimination against minorities. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi called for continued international scrutiny of human rights abuses in Iran, specifically mentioning gender apartheid and crimes against humanity.

In response to the report, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani accused the US of undermining diplomatic efforts and withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Kanaani stated that Iran has used its diplomatic capacities to secure the lifting of unjust sanctions imposed by the US.

The UN Human Rights Council has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate human rights violations in Iran amid the crackdown on protests. However, Iran has accused the committee of bias. Despite these criticisms, human rights organizations have urged the UN to renew the mandates of the fact-finding committee and the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, emphasizing the critical nature of their missions.

Why this matters: The ongoing tensions between Iran and the US regarding human rights issues highlight the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region. The international community's response to the human rights situation in Iran could have significant implications for diplomatic relations and the lives of Iranian citizens.

The US State Department's deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, accused Iran of being "one of the largest exporters of terrorism in the world" and repressing media institutions, journalists, and media professionals. The Biden administration has faced criticism for not taking valid action to rectify past wrongdoings and for continuing the "maximum pressure" policies of the Trump administration, including imposing new sanctions on Iran under various pretexts.

Key Takeaways

• Iran criticizes 2023 US human rights report as "unrealistic and hypocritical".
• US report highlights Iran's suppression of protests and discrimination against minorities.
• Iran accuses US of undermining diplomatic efforts and withdrawing from the JCPOA.
• UN forms fact-finding committee to investigate human rights violations in Iran.
• Tensions between Iran and US on human rights issues have geopolitical implications.