Canada: Iran Violates Human Rights

Rooz Online:

While the pro hardline government media in Iran called the meeting between the Iranian and Canadian foreign ministers successful, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, after meeting with his Iranian counterpart that his country had prepared a new resolution to condemn human rights violations in Iran and would propose it to the United Nations General Assembly. READ MORE

The new resolution condemning Iran's human rights record followed by IAEA resolution last week, which paves the way for referring Iran's nuclear file to the UN Security Council, has already created new challenges for Iran's foreign policy makers.

An Iran analyst believes that although for the past 25 years, Iran has already been more or less internationally isolated, the recent international extensive and comprehensive alliance against the Islamic Republic of Iran is new in its scope and strength. This state of affairs, according to him, can be interpreted as a victory for the United States, especially in the desire of those politicians who have been advocating the use of force against Iran.

Kayhan daily, Tehran's hard-line newspapers and the most serious supporter of the government had written and expected diplomatic success for Iran in its efforts to neutralize the Europeans over the nuclear issue. The IAEA decision proved it wrong. Kayhan also claimed success for Iran’s new foreign policy team after Manoutchehr Motaki met several of his counterparts, including the one from Canada, in New York during the General Assembly sessions.

But the Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew, who seemed distressed and angry after his meeting with the Iranians, told reporters that Canada is preparing a new resolution to condemn Iran's human rights violations at the General Assembly.

Pettigrew also told reporters that Iran official behavior towards Zahra Kazemi's file and rendering justice in this murder has forced Canada to take firmer stance. Kazemi was an Iranian-Canadian who had traveled to Iran and was arrested while taking photographs outside the notorious Evin prison. She was subsequently found dead in her prison cell, while officials presented conflicting reports and reasons for her death. Canadians and her family members have been pursuing the case to identify and present those responsible for her death, but cooperation from the Iranian side has been meager, according to those following the events.

In his last week's speech in New York, Canada's FM called for new reforms in U. N. in order to better deal with countries such as Iran. Iran, it should be noted, is currently a member of United Nation's Human Rights Commission. Canada is putting forth reforms that call for excluding countries such as Iran that have a dismal human rights record, to prevent a conflict of interest.