Iran dismisses UN rights criticism
Al Jazeera English
19-Nov-2010

The resolution said the assembly "expresses deep concern at serious ongoing human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran".
Such violations include torture, flogging, amputations, stoning, and "pervasive gender inequality and
violence against women".
It also voiced "particular concern" at what it said was the government's failure to launch a thorough investigation of alleged human rights violations in the wake of the contested presidential elections in 2009, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, was re-elected to the office.
'No political prisoners'
But Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary-general of the Iranian high council for human rights, told Al Jazeera on Friday that Iran holds "no political prisoners" but that the country does have prisoners who are politically "outspoken".
"For example, the lawyers," Larijani said, referring to a number of human rights lawyers who have been arrested in recent months.
"I mean, we are confronted with a number of people who call themselves lawyers. But in place of going into the corridors of the courts to serve their clients, they fly from one capital in [the] West to another capital to make interviews."
He accused the lawyers of abusing their stations and of starting "propaganda against the state".

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