Friday, March 01, 2024

Tehran criticizes German FM over comments on human rights

TEHRAN- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s accusations against the Islamic Republic were categorically rejected by Iran as an inane attempt by the Berlin government to hide its backing for the Israeli occupation and its indifference to egregious human rights violations occurring throughout Palestinian territory.

In a statement late on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that “it is a bitter irony that certain Western governments claim to be advocates of human rights, while they played a direct role in supplying and equipping the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with chemical warfare during its imposed war on Iran in the 1980s, and have now offered support for Israel’s massacre in Gaza.”

He went on to add, “Under the pretext of protecting human rights and yet by politicizing the matter, German authorities interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, and at the same time, they bolster their own economy through stepped-up activities of their armament manufacturers.”

The spokesman cautioned German officials from misusing the human rights issue to further their own politically motivated agenda by employing humanitarian and phony gestures.

In addition to highlighting the dire circumstances facing locals and refugees in Rafah, Kanaani continued to draw attention to the ongoing Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, calling the appalling conditions in Gaza and the West Bank an outright disgrace and unmistakable evidence of the failure of the so-called human rights advocates.

If Germany and its allies are really seeking to protect human rights, they should set up a special fact-finding committee to probe into Israel’s massacre of 30,000 defenseless civilians in Gaza, he pointed out.

The comments followed the German foreign minister’s appeal for an extension of a UN mission about the riots in Iran in 2022 during her speech to the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday in Geneva.

The UN Human Rights Council established the fictitious fact-finding mission on Iran in accordance with a resolution critical of Tehran that was approved during a special meeting in November of that year.

Iran denounced the resolution at the time, saying that such anti-Iranian actions were motivated by “multifaceted political goals.”

Tehran also said that it would not assist such a mission, emphasizing that a national fact-finding commission had already been established in the nation to investigate the occurrences.

Germany’s accusations on human rights concerns coincide with a societal backlash against anybody voicing support for the Palestinians, who have been subjected to Israel’s most recent violent aggression against them for almost five months. 

Berlin has seen fewer pro-Palestinian marches, and schools now have the authority to forbid the flying of Palestinian flags.

Furthermore, sources stated that there has been an ongoing campaign to harass, threaten, intimidate, silence, fire, dismiss, and deny funding to individuals and groups who disagree with the German government and institutions’ unwavering support for Israel.

On Tuesday, on the sidelines of the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Iranian foreign minister said that a ceasefire in Gaza has the potential to restore peace and security to the entire region.

Hossein Amir Abdollahian expressed concerns about what he perceived as U.S. hypocrisy regarding violence, emphasizing the need to end preferential treatment for Israel. 

He also warned that unless the United States refrains from encouraging Israel to employ violent force in the Gaza Strip, regional peace will remain at risk.

After Hamas instigated Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in reaction for the Tel Aviv regime’s ongoing atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Israel started the devastating war on Gaza on October 7 of last year.

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