Senior Iranian MP Raps West's Double-Standard Stance on Human Rights

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian legislator lambasted the West's double-standard policies and stances on human rights, and stressed that discussing human rights issues is not possible in a politically-tainted atmosphere.
"Dual approach and political outlook on human rights damages human dignity and materialization of the rights of human beings," Head of the Iranian parliament's Human Rights Committee Zohreh Elahian said in a meeting with Deputy Head of Denmark's National Institute for Human Rights Charlotte Andersen here in Tehran on Wednesday.

"Reviewing human rights issues should be done in an atmosphere of talks and interaction, free from political ballyhoos," she added.

Meantime, the Iranian lawmaker stressed Tehran's readiness to hold talks and exchange experience with the other countries in area of human rights.

Iran has always lashed out at the western countries for using human rights as a tool and pretext for pressurizing independent states to conceal their own crimes and wrong deeds.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in November lambasted continued violation of human rights by certain European countries, and asked them to listen to the demands of their people.

Last year, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a report on the violation of human rights by the US inside and outside its borders, and urged Washington to join the international conventions which prohibit such crimes.

It was stressed in the Foreign Ministry report that the United States, as a self-proclaimed standard bearer of defense for the human rights in the world, has despite the international community and the UN demand, and even despite President Barack Obama's promise, still not shut down the Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib horrendous prisons.