Mrs Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, will raise concerns about rights issues in Iran during talks with senior officials this weekend, a spokesman said yesterday.
Mrs Robinson has received a pledge from Tehran that the UN special rapporteur (investigator) on human rights in Iran, Mr Maurice Copithorne, a Canadian jurist, will be allowed to visit in May or June, a spokesman, Mr John Mills, said.
Her visit comes two weeks before the annual UN Human Rights Commission, whose 53 member-states sharply criticised Iran last year for continuing violations, including a "large number of executions" and cases of torture.
Mrs Robinson is expected to meet the Foreign Minister, Mr Kamal Kharrazi, today and the President, Mr Mohammad Khatami, tomorrow.
"She will take advantage of opportunities to raise concerns about human rights issues in Iran, but her visit does not substitute for a visit by the special rapporteur", Mr Mills said.
"The High Commissioner is pleased to have received assurances from the government that Copithorne will be able to visit in May or June."
It was not clear whether Mrs Robinson, who has pledged to be a "voice for victims", would raise the case of a prominent newspaper editor, Mr Morteza Firoozi. Held since May on spying charges, Mr Firoozi is said by Iranian news organisations to have been condemned to death.