Iran denounces re-appointment of UN special rapporteur

Iran's Foreign Ministry denounced the extension of the UN special rapporteur mission on human rights situation in the country, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

In a statement, the Iranian spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari censured the recent re-appointment of Ahmed Shaheed as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, saying that the decision is politically-motivated, biased and has no legal basis.

Tehran is committed to its obligations regarding the promotion of human rights in compliance with its constitution and religious values, Jaber Ansari said.

On March 24, Shaheed was appointed for the fifth year running as the UN special rapporteur mission on human rights situation in Iran.

In his latest report on human rights condition in Iran, Shaheed said earlier this month that the Islamic republic was engaged in several human rights abuses in 2015, including the rise in the number of executions, as well as crackdowns on journalists and activists.

Iran has dismissed several times the reports by the UN human rights institutions, saying that they did not reflect the realities in the country.