Article content

Iran called Canada “racist” and “self-centred” at a UN meeting on Tuesday, where it tried to deflect criticism of its own human rights record and balked at a Canadian-led resolution condemning Iranian abuses.

In a statement before the humanitarian affairs committee, Iran’s ambassador to the UN said Canada had “a long list of human rights violations” against immigrants, Muslims, aboriginals and “Afro-Canadian women,” and accused Ottawa of “abusing human rights mechanisms to advance its self-centred political interests.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Iran blasts Canada as 'racist' and 'self-centred' for moving UN resolution condemning Islamic Republic's abuses Back to video

“In fact, if any country had to get a resolution, [Canada] would have deserved it more than others because of their unsparing support of a regime [Israel] that has frequently committed genocide in the Palestinian Occupied Territories,” Mohammad Khazaee said in a statement to the UN committee, obtained by the National Post.

Mr. Khazaee said it was “ironic” that Israel was among the 42 co-sponsors of the resolution passed by the committee Tuesday. This is the tenth year that Canada has led the now-annual resolution, which is widely expected to pass at the UN General Assembly Plenary once it is sent up for consideration.