Ahmadinejad accuses US of rights abuses

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has hit back at criticisms of his country's human rights record by accusing others of serious violations.

In a clear reference to the US, he said "certain powers" were guilty of "setting up secret prisons, abducting persons, trials and secret punishments without any regard to due process".

His comments came after US President George W Bush used his 15 minutes at the United Nations General Assembly podium to highlight human rights abuses around the world, highlighting Iran along with Belarus, North Korea, Syria.

A defiant Mr Ahmadinejad also repeated his attack on countries he accused of trying to deprive Iran of its right to nuclear energy.

He said the issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions was "closed" and a matter to be handled by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"All our nuclear activities have been completely peaceful and transparent," he said, dismissing "military threats and illegal sanctions".

"Iran has moved forward step by step and now our country is recognised as one with the capacity for industrial-scale fuel cycle production for peaceful purposes," he said.

At a later press conference the Iranian president described US moves to tighten sanctions as "not important".

He said: "Some big powers seek to impose their will on the Security Council.

"We can't expect that the rights of our nation will be taken care of, so what's right for us to do is to co-operate with the IAEA and to resist."

He said he looked forward to a time when "Palestine and Iraq will be liberated," when powers would "return from the path of arrogance and obedience to Satan" and when "the pleasing aroma of justice will permeate the world."

Mr Ahmadinejad refused to answer an Israeli woman who asked him at the news conference about her husband, one of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by pro-Iranian Hezbollah last year. He also ignored a question from an Israeli journalist.

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