Khamenei: US's treatment of black people is an anti-human rights act like its support of Israel

Iranian supreme leader takes to Twitter in wake of controversial shooting of black teenager by police, calling the US "an enemy of human rights".

By JPOST.COM STAFF

AUGUST 17, 2014 11:04

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (photo credit: REUTERS) — Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued to attack the human rights record of the United States on Sunday, on the background of the shooting death by police of a black youth in Ferguson, Missouri that has sparked unrest.

Khamenei has taken to Twitter in recent days to criticize arch-enemy America, declaring that, "Brutal treatment of black ppl isn’t indeed the only anti-human rights act by US govt; look at US’s green light to #Israel’s crimes."

Brutal treatment of black ppl isn’t indeed the only anti-human rights act by US govt;look at US’s green light to #Israel’s crimes. #Ferguson
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) August 15, 2014

The Iranian leader called out the US for what he considers its hypocrisy on his Twitter account: "Today the world is a world of tyranny and lies. The flag of #HumanRights is borne by enemies of human rights w/US leading them! #Ferguson."

The US has in the past called out Iran for violating the rights of women, gay people and political dissenters, even sanctioning the Islamic Republic for the violations.

"Look at how US govt treats black community! It's not about 50-100 years ago but it's about today!" Khmaenei tweeted.

"Racial discrimination is still a dilemma in the US," he wrote Sunday, posting photos depicting police discrimination and brutality, as well as bruised and beaten black victims of the violence.

Racial discrimination is still a dilemma in the U.S. #Ferguson http://t.co/k1jpN89Qze pic.twitter.com/whAH2NblgF
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) August 17, 2014

The shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer has sparked protests in Missouri, which have at times turned violent.

On Saturday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and announced a curfew to go into effect between midnight and 5 a.m. CDT (0500 to 1000 GMT), after a week of racially charged protests and looting over the August 9 fatal shooting in the suburban St. Louis community.

Tensions ran high all week but escalated on Friday evening, pitting mostly black protesters against mostly white police as the demonstrators swarmed through a residential and retail district that has become a center of the unrest, and some in the crowd looted a handful of stores that night.

Brown's family and supporters have demanded for days that the officer who shot Brown be held accountable. The US Department of Justice is investigating the shooting for any civil rights violations, and the St. Louis County Police department has also launched a probe.

Reuters contributed to this report.