OTTAWA – It’s a country that will execute women for adultery, has more than 100 children under 18 on death row and answered public protests over election results by opening fire on crowds numbering in the thousands.
Still, Iran thinks it has lessons to teach Canada when it comes to human rights.
Last week, Iran summoned Canada’s top diplomat in Tehran to ask him about how Canadian police handled protests at the G20 summit in Toronto.
“Canadian officials should provide a response to all questions and ambiguities regarding human rights violations in their country,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Iranian reporters.
Mehmanparast calls the security approach adopted by Canadian police during the G20 “brutal and deadly,” adding that countries cannot keep silent on human rights abuses.
Canadian officials are rejecting the advice.
“The world watched as Iranians turned out in the thousands to protest against the authorities after a deeply flawed election last year. The world watched Iranian security forces use lethal force against the demonstrators,” said Melissa Lantsman, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.
