Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay expressed his "disgust" Wednesday at the presence of the Iranian prosecutor implicated in the death of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi at the inaugural meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

Gen. Saeed Mortazavi was found by two Iranian government investigations to have ordered the 2003 arrest of the Iran-born, Montreal-based photojournalist.

A report from Iran's parliament blamed Mortazavi for Kazemi's illegal detention and the subsequent attempt to cover up his involvement in her death.

Iranian authorities say Kazemi died of a stroke. But a commission appointed by Iran's president found she died of a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage that resulted from a blow to the head with a hard object, fracturing her skull.

Mortazavi has also been involved in the clampdown on the Iranian press and the arrests of many Iranian journalists, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The United Nations inaugurated its new Human Rights Council on Monday. The 47-member council replaces the much politicized UN Human Rights Commission, which was discredited in recent years because some countries with poor human rights records had used their membership to protect one another from condemnation.

While Iran failed to win election to the 47-member council, non-member states are free to send observers to attend the body's sessions.

In his address to the council, Mortazavi raised his concerns about the need to enforce human-rights laws in countries such as the United States and Israel.

His voiced concerns about "violation of the Holocaust deniers' freedom of expression," opposition to Islamic dress codes and denial of access to nuclear technologies.

"The presence of Mr. Mortazavi in Iran's delegation demonstrates the Government of Iran's complete contempt for internationally recognized principles of human rights," MacKay said in a written statement.

"The Government of Canada expresses its disgust at the fact that Iran would choose to include such a person in its delegation to a new UN body intended to promote the highest standards of respect for human rights.

MacKay charged that Iran was trying to discredit the newly created Human Rights Council with Mortazavi's presence in the delegation

"Canada has shared its assessment of the Government of Iran's involvement in the killing of Zahra Kazemi and the role of Mr. Mortazavi in that case with the President of the Council, representatives of the host government-Switzerland-and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights," MacKay said.

"We have also called on other delegations to the Human Rights Council meeting to condemn Mr. Mortazavi's presence."