The Iranian foreign minister smiles as CNN anchor Christiana Amanpour questions him about women’s rights.
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Iran’s foreign minister couldn’t stop smiling when questioned about his country’s record on women’s rights in a combative interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.
Hossein Amirabdollahian told the presenter that “this is not the way to conduct an interview” after insisting that women in Iran had “all necessary and required freedoms” and accused Western media of fomenting protests there.
It comes just two days after diplomats walked out on a speech by the Iranian minister to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
During the tense interview, Amirabdollahian claimed that Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old who died after being arrested by the morality police for not wearing the hijab, was turned into a “symbol” by the protesters.
“You’re supposed to interview me, but you’re actually having a confrontation with me,” he said. amanpour.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian smiled as he chided CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, telling her “this is not the way to conduct an interview.”
CNN anchor Amanpour attacked the Iranian foreign minister over his country’s record on women’s rights.
This is not the way to conduct an interview. Women in Iran have all the necessary and demanded freedoms within the framework of the law,” she added.
‘Do you ask other countries? Are you asking other countries that are in our region but are allies of the United States the same kinds of questions that you are asking me about women’s hijabs?
‘The problem in Iran right now is not the hijab.’
Widespread civil unrest broke out in Iran following the suspicious death of Amini on September 16, 2022.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Law Enforcement Command said she had a heart attack at a police station, collapsed and fell into a coma before being taken to a hospital.
But eyewitnesses claim that she was badly beaten and died as a result of police brutality.
The case shed new light on the country’s treatment of women, with a growing number of Iranian women choosing to circumvent sharia-based law to wear the hijab.
Protesters cut themselves and burned their head coverings while chanting anti-government slogans.
It marks the longest-running anti-government protests in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
Recently, up to 400 female students from some 30 schools were poisoned in what is believed to be an attempt to prevent them from receiving an education.
Noxious vapors wafted into their classrooms, prompting some to require hospital treatment after complaining of headaches, palpitations, lethargy and being unable to move.
During Wednesday’s interview with CNN, Amirabdollahian accused Western media of encouraging violent protests in his country.
‘In Iran we had an incident. An Iranian girl passed away and we are all very sorry.
“But foreign interference and US- and British-based Persian-language media focused their activities on encouraging and instigating riots and acts of terror.
Mahsa Amini, 22, died on September 16, three days after falling into a coma following her arrest.
After the death of Mahsa Amini, protests against Iran have been held in many parts of the world. Pictured: Protesters take part in a demonstration against Iran on December 24, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Women burned their headscarves in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria in September 2022
‘And that’s why the peaceful protests ended up turning violent, due to foreign intervention.
‘To the extent that Daesh or even ISIS exploited the situation to establish a presence in Iran.
He added: “I can tell you with complete confidence that our police and security forces in Iran have not killed anyone with bullets or any other means in these riots.”
He claimed that the police did not have the power to use firearms in riots.
On Monday, Amirabdollahian was given the controversial task of giving a speech on human rights at a UN meeting.
Videos circulating on Twitter appeared to show dozens of UN diplomats walking out as he began to speak.
In one clip, an unidentified Iranian woman can be heard saying: ‘They have no shame and they should be ashamed. They are child murderers.
A letter from UN Watch, a Geneva-based organization that monitors UN activities, urged the 193 members to leave the meeting.
It collected more than 100 signatures from prominent legislators, human rights advocates, and celebrities.
During the meeting, Amirabdollahian said that the Iranian government was committed to defending human rights.