TEHRAN (IRNA)-- Deputy Judiciary Chief for international affairs Mohammad-Javad Larijani here on Wednesday assessed the investigation process into the case of the death of the Canada-based Iranian photojournalist, Zahra Kazemi, as positive.

Larijani rejected any motive by the political factions for killing her, given that Kazemi was neither a prominent figure, nor had she accomplished any significant achievement.

The official said that such a crime is likely to happen everywhere in the world, IRNA reported.

He added that the first court hearing on the case led to positive results. "Before considering the international aspect of the case, we mainly focused on the national judicial system to find the reason a murder was committed in an Iranian prison.

"Anyone charged with a crime should have the right to defend himself/herself," he added.

He pointed out that the U.S. holds the record on the number of murders committed in prisons, adding that on the average several murders take place in its prisons every week.

"A report released by the public prosecutor's office referring to the case as a quasi-intentional murder, said that this should be verified by the court. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor and officials in charge will express their views on the case."

The official said that on President Khatami's order, the court hearings will be open and transparent.

"The important point for the Iranian people is the reason such a murder was committed," he noted.

He reiterated that Iran's international performance is much better than Canada's, given that a young Iranian man, Keyvan Tabesh was shot dead by a Canadian policeman without a uniform not being on duty.

Larijani expected that the Canadian government will hold a transparent trial into the case.

Turning to nuclear energy, he said that Iran is entitled to make civilian use of atomic energy and underlined Iran's peaceful application of it.

Reiterating Iran's full commitment to nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he said that other states including the U.S. should also honor their commitments under the treaty.

"Iran has no problem with the West over nuclear energy, given Iran's transparency in this respect as declared by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and President Mohammad Khatami.

"Given that Iran's nuclear activities is quite reasonable and justifiable, we are determined to push it forward," he added.

Denouncing the September 12 resolution, he said that it went against both the NPT and the UN Charter.

Turning to the U.S. pressure on issuing the resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors against Iran, he noted that the European states were soft on this issue on account of problems relating to Iraq and their differences with the U.S. on Iraq.

Referring to the legal contradictions in the resolution, he said that it is quite natural for Iran not to sign the proposed document.

"So far our cooperation with IAEA has been in accordance with NPT and international treaties, we shall comply with it," he declared.

He stressed that Iran has no intention of gaining access to nuclear weapons.

Pointing to the visit of the Chairman of Germany's Bundestag Foreign Policy Committee Folker Ruhe to Iran, he underlined that it was in response to the trip of the representatives of Majlis Foreign Policy Commission to Germany and within the framework of mutual ties between the Majlis and the German Bundestag.