The United Nations is investigating Iran's record on human rights as the country comes under growing pressure over the issue.

A review was getting underway on Monday as part of a UN mechanism intended to hold all member states accountable on a range of rights issues.

The investigation is beginning as European countries, the United States and human rights groups accuse Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime of increasingly using mass arrests and detention as a weapon against dissent.

Review and debate by the 47 nations that are members of the UN Human Rights Council are to include submissions from individual countries and UN human rights bodies.

Allegations of torture

Non-governmental organizations will also have an opportunity to have their say on the allegations, which include torture, staging show trials, politically motivated executions and media censorship.

In a report to the council, Iran complained that criticism of its record was politically motivated.

"The Iranian society is a successful model of brotherly and peaceful coexistence," it said. "Iran's human rights situation has consistently been used as a political tool to apply pressure and to advance certain ulterior political motives of specific Western countries."

China and Russia to take part

All UN member states must submit to a review of their record every four years. The Human Rights Council only has the power to draw up recommendations. China and Russia were due to take part in Monday's debate.

Human rights group Amnesty International has urged countries to hold Iran to account rather than siding with it against the West.

"The Iranian authorities seem to have lost touch with reality or are unwilling to acknowledge it," said Amnesty's deputy Middle East director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

"Complacency or misplaced solidarity with Iran should not stand in the way of demands for Iran to fulfill its human rights obligations," she added.

Amnesty listed further human rights infringements on the part of Iran as being the abuse of women's rights, discrimination against minorities and interference with the country's judiciary.

On Thursday, Revolutionary Guards and police cracked down on protests during the 30th anniversary of Iran's Islamic resolution.

Last year, at least 20 people were killed and more than 1,000 arrested as Iranians took to the streets to protest a disputed presidential election result.

Steps back, not forward

On Friday, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi urged the council to fully hold Iran to account.

"In Iran ... every year we're taking a step backwards rather than a step forwards," she said.

rc/dpa/AFP
Editor: Nancy Isenson