Weekly Cartoon 19: Larijani vs. the UN: Round 3

Larijani vs. the UN: Round 3

Shortly after Ban Ki-moon left Tehran, Iranian Human Rights Council head Mohammad Javad Larijani criticized the UN’s human rights mechanisms publicly , including the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, on Iran’s State TV.

Larijani’s remarks made it clear that Iranian officials are not prepared to allow UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran Ahmed Shaheed to enter the country.

The Secretary-General’s office has not reacted to Larijani’s remarks about their meeting in Tehran. Before leaving, the Secretary-General told an audience at the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s School of International Relations that he “urge[d] Iran to strengthen cooperation with the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, in particular the Special Rapporteur,” and that he had “discussed this matter with [Iran’s] leadership,” but gave no further details.