The report, issued on March 3, said that Iran lacked free and fair elections, as well as an independent judiciary, adding that other human right problems comprised politically motivated violence and repression, impunity of the security forces, multiple freedom restrictions. According to the report, only parties loyal to the country's authorities were able to participate in elections.
"The Americans, who have close cooperation with the most evil and inhumane regimes in the region and caused such a huge scandal in their own recent election, are now targeting and criticizing Iranian nation’s election," Ayatollah Khamenei was quoted as saying by FARS news agency.
On Tuesday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani dismissed the US report, stressing that elections in the country were "free, clean, competitive and democratic."
The new presidential election in Iran is scheduled for May 19, and it will coincide with the parliament’s mid-term election and the municipal elections.
