In a shift, Iran is opening up to talks on its draconian use of the death penalty and other critical human rights issues, the UN rights expert said Monday. But beyond a willingness to discuss UN grievances, Iran has yet to take concrete steps to improve its rights record, Ahmed Shaheed told reporters. Shaheed is due to present his annual report to the UN General Assembly this week, the first compiled since the historic nuclear deal with world powers that has opened up a new era of relations with Tehran. The deal provides for the lifting of sanctions and brings to an end decades of isolation for Iran over its controversial nuclear program. “The nuclear agreement reached this summer does present opportunities for advancing human rights,” said Shaheed, a lawyer from the Maldives who has been the UN’s special rapporteur on Iran since 2011. The rights expert said he was [...]
