Official:

US Unqualified to Criticize Iran's Human Rights Status

Rasa - Deputy Head of Iran's Human Rights Headquarters for International Affairs Kazzem Qaribabadi blasted the western countries, specially the US, for violating the human rights in the Middle East, and said that Washington is not in a position to blame other countries for their past records.

News ID: 427890

Date: 05 March 2017 - 20:40

RNA - "The US is not authorized to talk about Human Rights issues mainly in the countries such as Iran that are among their victims of Human Rights violations," Qaribabadi said.

Qaribabadi's remarks came in reaction to the annual reports issued by the US on the status of human rights in Iran.

He reiterated that the US is now systematically violating Human Rights inside and outside its territories, and said, "Such reports about other countries only seek to deviate world public opinion from its own problems."

"The US legitimacy at the UN Human Rights Council is under question," he said, adding that the independent countries and international mechanism on Human Rights should examine the status of human rights in the US.

In relevant remarks on Saturday, the Iranian foreign ministry blasted the US for its allegations against Tehran in its annual human rights report, and said Washington's too dark human rights record has disqualified it from commenting or judging the human rights situation in other countries.

"Given its highly bad and dark human rights record both in and outside the country and at the international level, the US administration is not qualified to express its views about the human rights situation in other countries," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said.

Noting that no international body has entrusted the US with judging the human rights situation in other countries, he said that the recent travel ban imposed by Washington on the nationals of 7 Muslim states was a clear violation of human rights.

Qassemi warned that the US seeks to derail the public opinion from Washington's support for certain Middle-Eastern countries which have a dark human rights record and their war crimes in other regional states.

In relevant remarks last March, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei scoffed at Washington's claim of support for human rights and democracy, noting that the US support for Saudi-Israeli wars in the region says it all.

"The Americans don’t have any answers to the easiest questions from the world community. They don't say why they support those behind the ongoing crimes against humanity in Yemen. The don't shy away from backing those behind the ongoing state terrorism against the defenseless people of Yemen," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Ayatollah Khamenei added, "They (the US) support the child-killer Zionist regime and regional allies which aren’t familiar with and don’t understand elections at all."

Ayatollah Khamenei advised the Iranian officials to be wary of American officials who commit the worst possible crimes "then smile and talk to you."

The US supports Saudi Arabia which has been pounding Yemen for nearly two years amid the silence of the international community.

Saudi Arabia launched its bombing campaign against Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to restore power to fugitive President Mansour Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

Hadi stepped down in January 2015 and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

The Monarchy's attacks have so far claimed the lives of at least 13,100 civilians, mostly women and children.

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