Tehran, September 24 (RHC)-- Iran has blasted the European Parliament for accusing the Islamic Republic of human rights abuses, saying Europe is too biased to see how the United States is violating the rights of around 80 million Iranians.

Earlier, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted a resolution that condemned Tehran for what it referred to as "suppression of women."  

"The European Parliament's biased, one-sided, unrealistic and disappointing resolution against Iran comes up for a vote at a time when the United States is violating the rights of over 80 million people by subjecting Iran to economic terrorism," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.  "This is being ignored by the MEPs."

He said Iran is a long way ahead of its regional neighbors in terms of women's rights, to the point that Iranian women live in better conditions even compared to their peers in some Western countries that accuse others of violations.

Mousavi said Tehran views women's rights as part of its national security and interest and is working to address shortcomings that might be present in some areas.  Such issues as human rights should not be used as a means of pressuring other countries, he added.

Mousavi said at the time that the US, given its own human rights record and that of its allies, was in no place to point the finger at others.  He emphasized that Washington's double-standards on the issue was best displayed with the State Department's “disgraceful silence” on Saudi Arabia's mass execution of 37 Saudi citizens earlier this year.

He also blasted the U.S. and its allies for subjecting Iran to economic terrorism through imposing indiscriminate sanctions, a move that he said was the biggest possible violation of the economic and social rights of a nation.

“All countries need to observe human rights, but the United States, which has a black record of human rights inside and outside the country, needs to carry out an urgent review in this regard,” Mousavi said.