The Iranian diplomat, Forouzandeh Vadiati, dismissed Shaheed’s anti-Iran statement as “the result of provocation and encouragement in line with the foreign policy of certain countries which pursue spreading Iranophobia and Islamophobia.”
Moreover, Vadiati totally rejected Shaheed’s comments on the condition of women in Iran, adding that as an Iranian woman, she has never experienced what the UN rapporteur has claimed about the Islamic Republic.
In scathing remarks on Monday, Shaheed, a former diplomat from the Maldives, deplored what he called worsening conditions for women in Iran.
He made the comments on the eve of presenting his latest findings to members of the United Nations General Assembly.
On June 17, 2011, the UN Human Rights Council, under pressure from the US and its allies, named Shaheed as human rights rapporteur on Iran.
Tehran insists that the appointment of a UN special rapporteur on Iran's human rights situation is a selective, politically-motivated and unacceptable move.