UN Special Rapporteur appeals for cooperation of Iranian government
04 Aug 2011, 10:58 AM
The new UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, former Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, has appealed to the Iranian government to extend its full cooperation with his mandate after the Islamic republic refused to permit the Special Rapporteur to enter the country.
In July, Iran’s secretary general of the high council for human rights dismissed “the western-engineered appointment” of Dr Shaheed as Special Rapporteur as”an illegal measure,” according to the Tehran Times.
“Iran has no problem with the individual who has been appointed as the special rapporteur, but the appointment of a rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran is unacceptable and Iran will not accept the decision,” Mohammad Javad Larijani was quoted as saying.
According to according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Dr Shaheed however expressed hope that “the Iranian authorities will view my mandate as a secure and legitimate space in which to take steps to comply with its international human rights obligations, as well as an opportunity to address the areas of concern communicated to Iran during its interactions with the international community on human rights issues.”
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