Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi, referring to recent European Parliament allegations of human rights violations by Iran, said on Sunday there is no need for it to pre-judge issues or tell Iran what to do.
At his weekly press briefing, Asefi told reporters that the Islamic Republic is under obligation to observe human rights based on Islamic teachings and that it has tried to remove any points of inconsistency in its enforcement of these rights. "If the European Parliament desires to talk about current issues, it would do better by paying due attention to the situation of religious minorities and Muslims in Europe," Asefi commented.
Asked about the results of recent talks between Tehran and the European Big 3 (Britain, France and Germany) and the nuclear package offered by the EU to Iran to try to end the nuclear standoff, the Iranian official said that talks were continuing and the two sides were working on a joint compromise plan that would be offered to the two sides' officials.
Referring to a report caliming a European Big 3 proposal for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities for a period of 10 years, Asefi said that the Europeans "did not set a period of time for any suspension."
"What they have said," added the spokesman, "was that Iran suspend its enrichment activities for as long as the talks were ongoing." (albawaba.com)
