Friday, June 23, 2006
At least they're saying something...
Saeed Mortazavi is Iran's prosecutor general. In 2003, Mortazavi ordered the detention and interrogation of Kazemi, who was tortured and later died of her injuries.
This week, Mortazavi resurfaced as part of Iran's official delegation to the inaugural meetings of the new UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Iran can't even get into the new human rights club, since it failed to win election to the council. It decided to show up anyway, and sent a team of observers to the council's first meetings in Switzerland.
George Gordon-Lennox of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders was shocked to see Mortazavi. His role, said Gordon-Lennox, has been "putting journalists in prison."
But there are also accusations of torture, and in the case of Kahzemi, involvement in both her murder and the subsequent coverup.
"What it says to us about the council is that the council is not getting off to quite as good a start as anyone would hope," said Gordon-Lennox...
...Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay said in a news release that he is disgusted by Iran's action.
Mortazavi ordered the arrest of Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi (shown in an undated file photo), who later died in Iranian custody. Mortazavi ordered the arrest of Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi (shown in an undated file photo), who later died in Iranian custody.
"The presence of Mr. Mortazavi in Iran's delegation demonstrates the government of Iran's complete contempt for internationally recognized principles of human rights," he said.
The Canadian government has also demanded Mortazavi's arrest...
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, p.39
Mortazavi resurfaced as part of Iran's official delegation to the inaugural meetings of the new UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Hey, they probably figured the "new" would be the same as the "old".
Not entirely sure they aren't right to think so, either.
(Btw, your heading is the cleverest thing I've seen all day. Or, for that matter, in many a day.)
Hey thanks, but which one did you see? (They change on every refresh)
Oh, it was the one showing the guy leaning in towards the young lady and asking, "By any chance, do you have a sister?"