“The unfortunate point is that since the United States and its NATO allies established a direct military presence in Afghanistan, narcotics production in Afghanistan has increased dramatically, from about 200 tons in 2001 to more than 9000 tons in the current situation. In other words, in front of the eyes of thousands of US and Western troops, narcotics production in Afghanistan has increased more than 45-fold,” Deputy Judiciary Chief and Head of the Iranian Judiciary's High Council for Human Rights Ali Baqeri Kani wrote in a detailed letter to clarify the ample ambiguities of the recent report of Rehman on what he calls “Human Rights Situation in Iran”.  

“Referring to the General Comment No. 36 of the Human Rights Committee, the Special Rapporteur (in paragraph 5 of the report), considers the most serious crimes to be crimes which ends up in premeditated murder. The question remains whether the death dealers, who take the lives of thousands of people each year and make thousands of families homeless, have a place in the committee's definition or not,” Baqeri Kani said, adding, “Did the Special Rapporteur pay attention to the fact that the monster of drug addiction and the heavy material and spiritual damages of this devastating scourge have been so important, not only for Iran but also for the international community, that one day of the year (June 26) is named as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking?”

“Although the Rapporteur calls into question, qualitatively and quantitatively, some punishments in Iran, it pays no attention to Iran's geopolitical position as a transit route for much of the world's narcotics toward the West, especially to Europe. Iran's location in the neighborhood of the world's largest traditional producer of narcotics, has made the planning to combat drug trafficking of strategic importance for our country,” he noted.

“According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), more than 80 percent of the world's drug discoveries belong to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran, as the UNODC's main policy and program partner in West Asia, and because of its tremendous efforts, has been repeatedly branded, by the Office’s executives as the flag bearer of the international fight against narcotics,” the official further stated.

“The discovery and seizure of more than 950 tons of narcotics and psychotropic substances during the past year, which has increased by 20%, compared to the previous year, has set a new and unprecedented record and achievement for the Islamic Republic of Iran, throughout the history of the Iranian fight against drug trafficking,” Baqeri Kani went on to explain.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing two problems in the fight against drug trafficking the root causes of both of which are the United States and its Western allies (the sponsors and co-sponsors of the Resolution),” he said and added, “The first problem is the unbelievable increase in the volume of narcotics production in a territory where the US armed forces and other NATO members are present. The other problem is the prevention of these countries from Iran's access to military and non-military anti-narcotics equipment for its fight against drug trafficking, through the imposition and implementation of cruel and illegal sanctions, which, due to lack of access to these facilities, the Iranian nation has been suffering extensively from the irreparable spiritual and material costs, including the martyrdom of more than 4,000 people and the disability of more than 12,000 military and law enforcement personnel.” Deputy Judiciary Chief said.

“Despite the damages and costs that drug trafficking imposes on upholding preservation of "life" and "health" of not only the people of Iran but of people all over the world, there is no doubt that this heinous crime is a clear and apparent example of "the most serious crimes"; and the necessity to fight this ominous phenomenon has been of strategic importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.

Ali Baqeri Kani

In relevant remarks, Ali Baqeri Kani slammed the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on human rights situation in the country, and regretted his indifference towards explicit confessions of the American officials about violation of Iranian nation’s various rights.

“Despite the impudent open stance of the US officials and their emphasis on preventing the Islamic Republic of Iran from accessing the financial resources needed to meet the basic needs of the Iranian people, the blatant acknowledgment of the damaging effects of these sanctions on the employment and livelihood of the Iranian people, and acknowledging the attempt to strike at the Iranian people, there is much to be regretted that the Final Report of the Special Rapporteur passes by this heinous crime against humanity with indifference and silence, and makes no reference to the US crimes and the damages inflicted on the Iranian people,” Baqeri Kani said.   

The Iranian official gave some examples of the US officials’ confessions on imposing illegal sanctions including, "We have succeeded in raising the costs for Iran... The sanctions we have imposed are the most severe penalties ... Iran’s oil exports are down by more than 2 million barrels per day, reducing Iran’s revenue from oil by more than 80 percent.  This amounts to a loss of around $50 billion annually. Iran is also facing a banking crisis with roughly half of all bank loans in arrears. More than one in four young Iranians is jobless. Inflation is at 40 percent." (Brian Hook, US Secretary of State Special Representative for Iran, January 17, 2020).

Baqeri Kani referred to US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker where she said, "Using any means, we have taken a comprehensive approach to exerting maximum economic pressure ... against Iran. The president re-imposed sanctions on the largest revenue-generating sectors of the Iranian economy, including energy, finance, transportation, precious metals, aviation and automobiles. We have added more than 1,000 individuals, entities, aircraft and ships to our sanctions list ... We have increased this economic pressure by targeting Iran's most profitable institutions, the most important of which is oil sector ... We have boycotted the largest petrochemical holding group in Iran, the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Company. This company, together with its designated subsidiaries, controls 40% of Iran's total petrochemical production capacity and is responsible for 50% of Iran's total petrochemical exports ... From late April, 2018, Iran's total trade volume has declined significantly, including its oil exports, which have declined significantly in recent months." (Sigal Mandelker, US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, July 31, 2019).

The official also pointed to former State Secretary Mike Pompeo’s blatant confession when he said, "Finally, the world saw that our economic pressure was applied to cut about 80 percent of Iran's oil revenues, and we are determined to cut the last 20 percent. As President Rouhani, himself, said, as a result of sanctions, Iran has lost about $ 200 billion in foreign revenue and investment." (Mike Pompeo, January 13, 2020).

He then said, “There is now a logical question as to why the Special Rapporteur has remained silent in the face of the "persistent and gross violation" of the rights of the Iranian people by the US regime and some European governments?”