TEHRAN -- Iran on Tuesday refuted an annual report made by the U.S. State Department on human rights situation in Iran as a series of baseless, repeated and one-sided charges.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamidreza Assefi said that the report is intervention in Iran's domestic affairs. "The report aims at diverting public opinion from realities and positive developments currently taking place in Iranian society," he added.

He said the report is issued at a time when the U.S. community is still suffering from blatant and continued violation of human rights as well as various forms of racism, racial discrimination, intolerance and violence, torture and mistreatment of prisoners.