The unveiling ceremony for the annual reports on human rights violations in the United States and the United Kingdom was held on Tuesday with the participation of Deputy Foreign Minister for the Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, several foreign ministry officials and representatives of the Iranian parliament.
Honoring the name and memory of the martyrs during 12-day and 40-day wars imposed against the country, Gharibabadi stated, “We are unveiling reports on human rights violations by the United States and the United Kingdom at a time when the criminal United States continues to violate the human rights of various nations. Furthermore, the United Kingdom, which claims to be a champion of human rights, has itself committed numerous violations.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked with preparing and publishing an annual report on human rights violations in the United States and the United Kingdom, he said, adding there are a few points to note regarding both reports. They cover developments concerning human rights violations both domestically and internationally from September of last year through the current year. The report on the United States is more detailed.
The US and UK, despite claiming to champion human rights, face widespread violations at home and must be held accountable to the international community and their own citizens, the deputy foreign minister emphasized.
Stating that the United States leads all other nations in the violation of human rights, Gharibabadi stated, “As the US’s human rights-violating behaviors have increased, it has also increasingly evaded accountability.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the deputy foreign minister pointed to the human rights’ violations in the United States, stating that widespread abuses have occurred in the country regarding the rights of prisoners, freedom of expression, discrimination and racism, the treatment of immigrants, and issues of poverty and inequality.
“Accordingly, our military and strategic response to any enemy miscalculation will be unpredictable,” Qalibaf warned, adding that Iran would not confine its response to geographical limitations and would dismantle the enemy’s faulty calculations along with its material and non-material assets.
The US is in no position to make claims about human rights concerning other nations, and it should first reform itself before presuming to lecture others on human rights.
MNA/ 6998392
