Associated Press: The United Nations chief on Wednesday pointed to “severe considerations” in Tehran’s human rights report and urged cooperation with the world physique to enhance freedoms, swaying Iran as host of the Conference of the Non-Aligned Nations.
Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – The United Nations Secretary-General on Wednesday pointed to “grave considerations” in Tehran’s human rights report, urged cooperation with world our bodies to enhance freedoms, and urged the organizers of the Conference of the Non-Aligned Nations to cooperate with the world physique to enhance freedoms. One that shook Iran.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon signaled he wouldn’t hesitate to criticize Iran throughout his go to to a Non-Aligned Movement rally in Tehran, however his sharp remarks got here simply hours after his arrival. This seems to have caught Iranian officers without warning.
“We have been discussing how the United Nations can work with Iran to enhance the human rights state of affairs in Iran. We are gravely involved about human rights abuses and abuses on this nation.” he mentioned at a press convention, sitting subsequent to Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, who raised eyebrows upon listening to this remark.
Iranian opposition forces have used Ban’s look in Tehran as a possibility to criticize Iran’s crackdown on political opposition, together with the home arrest of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi. It known as for criticism of the ruling system.
During his keep in Tehran, Mr. Ban additionally sought broader entry to numerous places, together with a army base close to Tehran suspected of being a testing website for explosives testing that may very well be utilized in nuclear set off checks. It might increase delicate points, such because the calls for of U.N. nuclear inspectors. Although Iran denies growing nuclear weapons, Western international locations and allies are involved that Iran’s uranium enrichment lab is approaching warhead-grade materials.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nestorki mentioned throughout the assembly that Ban expressed frustration that there was “little tangible progress” in talks between Iran and world powers over its nuclear program. After a number of rounds of negotiations over the previous few months, no date has been set for the resumption of negotiations.
Iran says it desires dialogue to proceed, but additionally argues that the present gathering in Tehran reveals that Western efforts to isolate Iran have failed.
The U.N. nuclear company has despatched a particular Iranian activity power to Vienna, made up of nuclear weapons specialists, intelligence analysts and different specialists, to concentrate on investigating Tehran’s nuclear program, in keeping with an inside doc shared with The Associated Press. was put in.
Iran is utilizing the week-long assembly of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement to advertise its place that its nuclear program is peaceable and that enriching uranium is throughout the phrases of a United Nations treaty. The assembly will conclude with a two-day summit beginning Thursday.
Mr. Ban’s go to is being interpreted by Iranian media as a blow to Western makes an attempt to isolate the Islamic Republic in defiance of requires a boycott of the Israeli-American convention.
The Iranian authorities can also be making an attempt to win help for its nuclear program from non-aligned international locations, which make up practically two-thirds of the United Nations’ membership. The risk of the taking part leaders visiting the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran has not been dominated out.
Mr. Ban met with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad late Wednesday.
According to Khamenei’s web site, he known as for motion to be taken towards Israel’s nuclear weapons, calling them a “nice hazard to the area.” Israel has by no means admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, however it’s extensively believed to have a big arsenal.
Mr. Ban additionally mentioned prematurely that he would talk about the Syrian disaster with Iranian leaders, who stay staunch allies of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The UN Secretary-General has previously known as Iran a key participant who can mediate regional conflicts, together with the Syrian civil battle.
Speaking at a gathering in Tehran Ban, UN Spokesman Nesirki mentioned: “I urge the leaders – the president, the supreme chief, the speaker of parliament – to essentially press the Syrian management and provides the Syrian management actual urgency to cease the battle in Syria. “I urged them to impress upon us the need.” This is to remove violence and create the mandatory situations for the political course of. ”
Iranian state media quoted distinguished parliamentarian Alaeddin Boljerdi as saying that Iran plans to suggest the formation of a three-member non-aligned group, together with Syria’s two neighboring international locations, to assist resolve the disaster in Syria. I advised them that.
The proposed troika consists of Egypt, Iran, and Venezuela, in addition to Iraq and Lebanon. Boljerdi, who met with President Assad throughout a go to to Syria final week, mentioned the Syrian president mentioned he welcomed Iran’s plan.
According to his web site, Khamenei advised Ban that the answer is to cease arms shipments to the Syrian opposition, or, in his phrases, “irresponsible teams inside Syria.”
A senior Iranian official revealed particulars of the plan Iran is proposing on the summit.
State information company IRNA quoted Hossein Amir Abdullahian, Deputy Foreign Minister, as saying on Wednesday that “Iran’s proposal is… for a ceasefire and the implementation of a three-month mechanism for nationwide reconciliation negotiations within the nation.” Ta.
Opposition fighters reject any position for Iran in such plans. Rebels and a few others say there’s little likelihood of success. The United States additionally rejected Iran’s participation in a global convention on the Syrian disaster.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged Mr. Ban to strain Iran on Syria. He mentioned Iran has a job to play. “We can break with the Assad regime and cease offering materials help, weapons, advisors, and many others.”
Associated Press author Edith M. Lederer contributed to this United Nations report.