Iran hits back after West condemns its human rights record

Geneva: Iran has defended itself against Western accusations of repression and a sharp rise in executions, including that of a woman hanged for murdering a man she accused of trying to rape her.

Mohammad Javad Larijani, secretary general of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, part of its judiciary, lashed out at what he called attempts to "impose your lifestyle under the banner of human rights", including gay rights.

The exchange took place during a more than three hour-long review in the U.N. Human Rights Council of Tehran's record.

Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged last week in Tehran's Evin prison for the killing. The dead man's relatives had refused to grant her a reprieve within a 10-day deadline set by sharia law, in force since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"We were not successful to solicit forgiveness from the hearts of victims ... We are very sorry that two nationals lost lives, but capital punishment or 'qisas' is a unique particularity of our system. I think it is worth it for Western countries to look into it," Larijani said.

"The idea that only good things in western community -- the 'West and the rest' -- this is a very destructive idea of human rights," he said.

Larijani said he had asked the man's relatives to forgive Jabbari and spare her life. "Unfortunately we were not able, perhaps one reason for that was the huge propaganda that was created against this case."

Canada's ambassador Elissa Golberg told the U.N. council she regretted "Iran's failure to apply standards of due process and rule of law" in the case.

Shadi Sadr, an Iranian lawyer who defended Jabbari at her first two trials, said at a briefing later she had reported having been tortured.

The man she killed had worked for intelligence forces, according to Sadr, who fled Iran in 2009.

Sadr, referring to the first judge in the case, said: "The head of the branch told all of us, the lawyers, Reyhaneh and her family that 'I will give you the death sentence, don't waste my time because she is guilty and has to be executed'."

Larijani said that due process and the independence of Iran's judiciary was enshrined in its constitution and laws. Judicial and prison staff were being trained in human rights.

Iran did not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or religion, and "all nationals of Iran are equal before the law".