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UN Human Rights Council & Presidential Election

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Iran, Economics & Business, Elections, Human Rights, Ideas, International Relations, Politics

Several bloggers wrote about the presence of Saeed Mortazavi [1], Tehran chief prosecutor, in the Iranian delegation to the UN Human Rights Council [2] in Geneva. A few bloggers tried to find out why Iranian government sent such a representative with a very poor human rights record. Some other bloggers try to remind us what Moratazvi did and share their reasons to protest against his visit. Let’s look at some of these blogs.

Upside down world!

Reza Allamezadeh [3], blogger, writer & movie director, considers Mortazavi's participation in the UN Human Rights Council shows how much our world is upside down. According to the blogger, even the Iranian Parliament considered Mortazavi was involved in the torture and murder of Zahra Kazemi [4], Canadian-Iranian journalist. The blogger adds

Now we see him (Mortazavi) promoted by the Leader and become a member of Iranian human rights delegation in Geneva. The Iranian State is just making fun of the world [5](Persian).

Iran Emrouz is upset that most Iranian blogs do not protest against Mortazavi’s presence at the UN conference. The blogger says why are so many blogs are silent about Tehran's chief prosecutor's presence in UN council? [6] (Persian) The blogger asks

Was not he, one of the suspects in Zahra Kazemi’s [4] murder? Is not he the one who closed down so many journals?

Message to inside country!

Masoud Behnoud, journalist, writer and blogger tries to find out why Mortazavi was sent. He writes The judiciary has many diplomats & international law academics that know the world and can talk a foreign language [7] (Persian). Behnoud writes the Mortazavi does not know any language other than his mother tongue. The blogger adds

Mortzavi’s trip might be a political message for inside the country. The people in charge of government wanted to send a message to reformists… that they (the government) do not fear any propaganda against them.

Wanted!

Hanif, blogger & journalist, talks about Manouchehr Motaki , Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister, and his reaction to the Canadian government ‘s request to Germany [8] (Persian) to arrest Mortazavi. Hanif reports what Motaki said in response:

Canada should be careful which country it is talking to! In the Islamic Republic’s opinion a country like Canada is insignificant and this country should not think somebody is going to pay attention to her requests. This country has made a lot of political mistakes from the victory of Islamic Revolution.

The blogger is quite surprised regarding the reaction of head of Iranian democracy and his inability to use “diplomatic language”.

Meanwhile, at the same time that some bloggers are trying to figure out why Mortazavi was sent to the UN conference in Geneva, some other Iranian bloggers are trying to find out why Ahmadinejad [9] won last year's Presidential election.

Economic Promises

Abtahi, reformist politician & blogger writes in Webnevesht that Ahmadinejad came to power thanks to his promises to solve economic problems and he did not talk about international relations. Abtahi writes about Ahmadinejad after being elected as President he has become a front runner in the nuclear crisis instead of leaving this function to other Iranian diplomats [10] (Persian). The blogger says Ahmadinejad should have concentrated on people’s economic problems rather than playing the role of a radical leader.

Ahmadinejad, the only option to change?

Ofoghe Azadi asks if reformist journalists didn't realise that the most important critic regarding former President Khatami [11]‘s government was his economic failures. So how did they then expect people vote for Mustafa Moin [12] (reformist candidate) who even did not talk about economic problems during the election. Khatami could not pass even legislation bills through Parliament. People wanted something to be changed. May be Ahmadnejad was the only option [13] (Persian).