Iran’s Judiciary chief has called for an end to the discriminatory approaches of international bodies influenced by Western powers towards human rights violations, saying such double standards have weakened the rule of law worldwide.
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei made the remarks in a meeting with foreign ambassadors and heads of offices of international organizations in Tehran on Wednesday.
He said Iran believes the international community must fight against human rights violators without discrimination and not be swayed by Western powers, who have often exploited human rights as a means to further their own agenda.
“We believe that international institutions and organizations have often acted discriminately and have ignored blatant human rights violations, aligning themselves with the goals of global powers; the same powers that have repeatedly instrumentalized human rights to push their desires and political agenda.”
The Iranian official highlighted the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza, expressing dismay that international organizations and human rights bodies have not taken effective measures to halt the atrocities.
“In the Gaza situation, the world has been a witness to the regime’s brutal crimes and acts of genocide against the defenseless people for several months now.”
“It is evident how children and infants are being dismembered by missiles and heavy bombs, and, regrettably, human rights organizations and institutions have yet to act decisively to prevent these heinous crimes.”
Mohseni Ejei also addressed the Western double standard in combating terrorism, exemplified by their long-standing support for the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).
“After the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the MKO was responsible for the bloodshed of thousands of our citizens in the streets and markets.”
The Iranian official was referring to a 1981 bombing by the MKO that resulted in the death of over 70 Iranian officials.
“The criminal leaders of the same terrorist group, with this disgraceful record, are under the protection of which countries? Why are these countries not willing to hand over these criminals to us or at least set restrictions against their activities?”
The MKO has perpetrated numerous terrorist attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials since 1979. Of the nearly 17,000 Iranians who have been victims of terrorist attacks over the past four decades, approximately 12,000 have been killed by the MKO’s acts of terror.
The group aligned with Saddam Hussein during Iraq’s imposed war on Iran in the 1980s but lost favor with Baghdad following his overthrow by a US-led invasion in 2003.
The European Union, Canada, the United States, and Japan had previously listed the MKO as a terrorist organization.
In 2012, the group was taken off the US blacklist. The EU followed suit, removing the group from its list of terrorist organizations.
