June 22nd, 2011
The United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva has issued a special resolution in which it appointed a correspondent from the Maldives to investigate the human rights situation in Iran. This appointment, thanks to the efforts of human rights activists, comes soon after the deaths of Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saberi.
A few days later, Zohreh Elahiyan, Head of the Islamic Republic Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights, said in an interview with “Nasim” regarding this UN appointment: “We will block the entry of the UN Human Rights representative since the anti-Iran resolution of the UN Human Rights Commission was put together by American and Zionist lobbies. It has no legal basis.” In explaining that the “anti-human rights” resolution passed against Iran was based on mistakes and political motivations, Zohreh Elahiyan continued: “We will accept case UN representatives. Cooperation is important for us, yet when the special representative is appointed with political protest, we are excused from accepting. This is the first reaction in opposing the appointment and dispatch of a UN representative in Iran.”
It remains to be seen how Islamic Republic authorities will react in the future and what will be the UN’s reaction to such opposition.