A newly appointed U.N. special investigator has renewed calls for Iran to cooperate in a probe of alleged human rights abuses.

Special rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed appealed to Tehran on Wednesday to allow him to visit the country. In a statement, he said he hopes Iran views his U.N. mandate as legitimate and takes steps to comply with its international obligations.

The U.N. Human Rights Council voted in March to create the special investigator position for Iran amid reports of the arrests and imprisonment of hundreds of political dissidents. Human rights groups have also raised concerns about what they call an alarming rate of executions in Iran.

In June, Iran rejected the appointment of a special rapporteur, calling it an “illegal measure.”

The government also said it would not allow the U.N. special representative to enter the country.

Source : VOA