Larijani: To Hell with Western Displeasure with our Human Rights Record
West’s Proposal for Human Rights Dialogue with Iran; Zarif, Mogherini Hold Preliminary Talks
Describing Westerners as secular and liberal, and security as the constitutional foundation of Western governments, Mohammad Javad Larijani [head of the Iranian judiciary’s Human Rights Council] said: “Western civilization is the product of the behaviour of Westerners. The Europeans have proposed a dialogue with Iran on human rights, but they want to negotiate from a special position and impose their own views.”
Vigorous Oversight by Judiciary’s Human Rights Council over Human Rights Negotiations with the West
He continued, “Should any negotiations take place, they will be vigorously monitored by the Judiciary’s Human Rights Council. We will not allow the West to impose its own logic regarding human rights.”
We will not allow the West to impose its own logic regarding human rights
The head of the Judiciary’s Human Rights Council said that depriving a nation of its chosen Islamic way of life would be committing the biggest crime against what is owed to humanity. He added: “We are ready to talk about approaches, but the Westerners should not put themselves forward as role models. The Judiciary’s Human Rights Council has handed down the topic of the talks to our country’s Foreign Ministry. And Mr. Zarif has had some progress in preliminary talks on the subject with [European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] Ms. [Federica] Mogherini.”
To Hell with the West’s Displeasure with Us Over Human Rights
Highlighting previous human rights negotiations between Iran and the West, Larijani said: “Experiences in the previous round of disparaging talks with the West were bitter. The new round of talks aim to avoid a repeat of those bitter past experiences. In that period, they were bent on criticizing us and we had to answer their questions. To hell with them if they’re displeased with us: we’re not supposed to be winning their hearts.”
He added: “In the previous talks, they connected negotiations to other issues. For instance, if Germany wanted to sell us cars, the German Chancellor would tell us: ‘Release such and such prisoners.’ That is the most ridiculous kind of human rights dialogue.”
Makeup of the Iran Delegation in Human Rights Discussions with the West
Larijani ascribed the proposal of a human rights discussion with the West to the emergence of a new atmosphere for humanity towards new experiences and possibilities of mutual understanding. He said: “Whether the West likes it or not, we are striving to open up the atmosphere for Muslim nations. The Westerners do not welcome such talks. They want to start something like a round 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and then say ‘We’ll turn on the bank tap a little if you let us make Islamophobic remarks’.” Larijani noted that “(t)he delegation in human rights talks with the West will be made up of jurists, judiciary officials, and interested politicians.”
Stating that over 90 percent of Western attacks related to human rights are aimed at the Judiciary, he said: “The West asks us why our civil system is based on Islamic laws, and why we do not allow the establishment of a political trend that is against Islamic thought and system, or why we are fighting terrorism.”
We have some profound and fundamental problems with Western rhetoric on the death penalty
The West Defends Human Rights which Spawn Terrorists
Remarking that Westerners support the kind of human rights that spawn Al-Qaidah, Daish [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,] and terrorists, Larijani said: “How can it be that Westerners consider the Hypocrites [reference to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization - MKO] who assassinated 20,000 people in our country to be human rights defenders? We’re not glad to be carrying out such a great number of executions – but we’re engaged in a relentless war on drugs.”
Larijani continued: “Thanks to the presence of NATO generals in Afghanistan, poppy cultivation in that country has increased 40 times over. Those generals use opiates in the evenings. But since they have such large quantities of it, they probably send the remainder to Berlin. We fight them. We have given thousands of martyrs to the relentless war against drugs. We have some profound and fundamental problems with Western rhetoric on the death penalty.”
Westerners are Liars When it Comes to Human Rights
Reiterating that the Westerns are liars concerning human rights, Larijani said that “We have to ask them: how can the state of human rights be good in a country where there is no democracy? The West’s allies in the region are bloodthirsty dictators. If a little kitten in London has an accident, five ambulances turn up, environmental activists go up in arms, and people burst into tears. But is it human rights when countless children are killed by Western weapons, policies, advisers, and puppets in Yemen, Afghanistan, and Iraq? Is it human rights to cram petrodollars down the UN’s throat when it tries to get in a word edgewise on these issues?”
[The Special Rapporteur's performance] is a product of improper propaganda...
Iran’s Policies Triggered Ahmad Shaheed’s Departure
Larijani cited the Islamic Republic’s policies as the main reason for [UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran] Ahmad Shaheed’s departure, saying: “We gave precise and technical answers to all the questions posed by that rapporteur. Ahmad Shaheed’s performance is a product of improper propaganda, abuse of responsibility at the UN, baseless accusations, defence of terrorism, and being a tool in the hands of harmful countries opposed and noxious to human rights.”
Follow-Up of Mina Catastrophe in the Security Council
Elsewhere in the interview, Larijani highlighted the investigation into the catastrophe of the martyrs of Mina [2015 Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia], saying: “It is thanks to the Supreme Leader’s rebuke that the cases of each of the martyrs of that catastrophe were looked into. The Mina catastrophe was a crime against humanity and a Zionist conspiracy aimed at undermining the Abrahamic Hajj.”
Noting that the catastrophe must be investigated at international tribunals, and that it was being followed up by the [Iranian] government, Larijani said that “(g)rounds have not been prepared for filing a complaint at international tribunals, and the issue is being pursued at the UN Security Council. A complaint about the issue is in the process of being instituted and the work towards preliminary hearings is in progress.”
Over 90 Percent of Executions Drugs Related
Stating that over 90 percent of the executions in the country are drug-related, Larijani said: “A review of the legislation on the fight against these drugs could reduce the number of these executions by 20 to 30 percent.”
Qisas [lex talionis] is not the right of the government but rather the right of citizens
He added: Those who committed a crime when they were under the age of eighteen are executed in special circumstances and at the discretion of the judge once they have reached the legal age [for the death penalty]. Qisas [lex talionis] is not the right of the government but rather the right of citizens. The government’s role in respect to qisas extends as far as striving to obtain the mercy and forgiveness of the victims’ parents. In some 40-45 percent of cases the Islamic system has been successful in promoting the culture of forgiveness and mercy. However, qisas has a very potent logic.”