MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

23.10.2007

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Angelika Beer, Monica Frassoni
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
on Iran

B6‑0418/2007

European Parliament resolution on Iran

The European Parliament,

  - having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, notably those concerning human rights,

–   having regard to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to all of which Iran is a party,

–   having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

1. General situation

A.  whereas the situation in Iran regarding the exercise of civil rights and political freedoms has deteriorated in the last 2 years, notably since the presidential elections of June 2005, despite several commitments by the Iranian authorities to promote universal standards,

B.  whereas Iran has undertaken to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms under the various international instruments in this field,

C.  whereas the increased symptoms of repression touch very different groups in society, women's organisations, students, trade unions, minorities as witnessed by for example

• -the actions taken against the campaign '1 million de signatures' in favour of the establishment of legal equality between women and men, whose activists are often arrested, threatened and prosecuted
• -the repression of the trade union movement, notably Mansour Osanlu - president of the bus drivers' Union, who has been repeatedly imprisoned the latest on his return from Brussels on 10 July 2007, where he tried to build international support for an independent trade union movement in Iran, as well as Mahmoud Salehi - former President of the Bakery Workers' Union arrested since April 2007
• -the forced retirement, dismissal or even imprisonment of numerous teachers and professors
• -arrests, torture and imprisonment of students such as those at the university of Teheran who demonstrated on 8 October 2007
• -pressure on the families of political prisoners like the relatives of those who were executed in the 1988 massacre and who request until today that the perpetrators be brought to justice
• -the introduction of procedural guidelines for publication by the Ministry of Culture and the Islamic Guidance and the reinforced censorship following thereafter
• -intimidation of electoral candidates as shown by the arrest of the religious reformer Hodjatoleslam Hadi Ghabel, member of the Participation Front Mosharekat,

2. Executions

D.  whereas the number of executions in Iran has increased exponentially recently with about 250 recorded executions in 2007 so far, including political prisoners, allegedly child offenders and a woman who committed a murder in self-defence; whereas Iran with its increased number executions, often in public or even on television, stands in isolation against the worldwide tendency of states to make less and less use of the death penalty,

3. Freedom of expression

E.  whereas numerous intellectuals have been detained and often tortured and whereas recently the wave of repression has been extended to bi-nationals, often with international repudiation, known for their moderation and search of dialogue, who face the most heavy charges of collaboration with foreign powers or espionage,

F.  whereas several of these intellectuals have been released on bail, such as Haleh Esfandiari, but that some others, such as Mehrnouche Solouki, are still in the impossibility to leave the country,

G.  whereas, in the case of leave on bail, the demanded sums are so high that they cause individuals concerned to refrain from any further public statement and introduce a strong mechanism of auto-censorship,

H.  whereas travelling outside Iran and participation in politico-cultural events carry for Iranians a high risk to find themselves in prison upon their return, creating an atmosphere of terror and reducing Iranian citizens' contacts to the outside world,

4. Freedom of the press

M.  whereas numerous press organs have been shut down, 11 since the beginning of the year among which figure Sharq, Ham Mihan, ILNA, le site Baztab), any many journalists have been arrested such as most recently Emaddedin Baghi and notably 5 from Kurdistan,

N. whereas with Adnan Hassanpour for the first time a journalist has been sentenced to death on 16 July 2007, who directed the Kurdish section of the biligual magazine Asso before it was closed down by the authorities in 2005, as well as Abdolvahed Botimar, journalist and ecologist, member of the NGO Sabzchia (Montagne verte),

5. Political prisoners

P.  considérant que selon des informations concordantes, il existe des centaines de prisonniers politiques et de défenseurs des droits de l´Homme dans les différentes prisons du pays,

6. Minority rights

R.  whereas the repression increases notably in the boarder regions inhabited by minorities (Kurdistan, Khuzestan, Sistan-Balutchistan, Azerbaijan) as an outflow of the conflict in neighbouring Iraq and Afghanistan,

S.  whereas Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand and Sa'id Metinpour human rights journalists are currently being detained and that this detention forms part of an ongoing campaign against minority rights human rights defenders in Iran,

T.  whereas the religious community of the Baha'is continue to face heavy, if not increased discrimination, its members being exposed to harassment and arbitrary arrests, being bared from higher education and the exercise of a chosen profession, and their religious sides being vandalised,

7. Iranian refugees in third countries

U.  Whereas Iranian refugees who have been sent back to Iran by third countries run severe risks of persecution as shoes the recent case of Rasool Ali Mezrea - a member of the Ahwazi Liberation Organisation who is threatened by excecution after having been forcibly returned from Syria, despite his status as recognized UNHCR refugee,

V.  Whereas the journalists and student activists Mohammad Hassan Talebi, Mohammad Hossein Jaafari, Vahid Shokoohi Nia are imprisoned in Greece on awaiting for their expulsion to Iran,

1. General situation

1    Expresses its serious concern about the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran since President Ahmadinejad took office in June 2005 and notes that no progress has been made since the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Iran in November 2006;

2    Calls upon Iran to grant all persons the right to exercise their civil rights and political freedoms and urges the Iranian authorities to fulfil their commitments under the international conventions that it has ratified;

3.  Reaffirms its support for those organisations and individuals in Iran who pursue dialogue and appeals to the Iranian authorities to guarantee the freedom of assembly and to allow the some 40 associations which have been closed down in the last two years to re-assemble freely, notably the Teachers' Association and the trade unions;

4.  Demande que les conditions d´un procès équitable soient garanties et que des poursuites au pénal ne soient pas engagées aux fins de réduire toute opinion critique au silence: rappelle que de telles poursuites sont prohibées par les instruments internationaux de protection des droits de l'Homme, et sont par conséquent arbitraires;

2. Freedom of expression

6    Reminds the Government of Iran of its obligations, as a signatory to the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to safeguard fundamental human rights, notably the freedom of opinion and of expression;

7.  Calls on the Iranian authorities to stop all persecution of human rights defenders and to allow independent trade unions and other associations to operate freely in the country;

3. Freedom of the press

9.  Condemns the arrests and imprisonment of journalists, cyber-journalists and webloggers, the closure of medias and the censorship of several online publications, weblogs and internet sites;

10.  Calls for the release of all imprisoned journalists and webloggers, including Emmadeddin Baghi, Ako Kurdnasab, Ejlal Ghavami, Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand, Said Matinpour, Adnan Hassanpour, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23029Abdolvahed"Hiva"Botimar, Kaveh Javanmard et http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22774Mohammad Hassin Falahieh as well as for the freedom of movement for Mohammed Javad Akbarin;

11.  Calls on the Iranian Parliament to amend the Iranian Press Law and the Penal Code to bring them into line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and notably to repeal all criminal provisions dealing with the peaceful expression of opinions, including in the press;

12.  Requests that the numerous press organs which have been closed down or censured should be able to function under established rules of freedom of the press;

4. Political prisoners

13    Calls on the Iranian authorities to accelerate the process of investigation into the suspicious deaths and killings of intellectuals and political activists, to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice and to unconditionally provide adequate medical assistance to those prisoners who are in poor health;

14    Calls on the Iranian authorities to unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, et notably the trade unionists Mansour Osanlou, Ebrahim Madadi and Mahmoud Salehi, the students Ehsan Mansouri, Madjid Tavakoli and Ahmad Ghassaban and those of the University Amir Kabir in Téhéran;

15.  Calls for an end of all persecution of members of the campaign "One million signatures"; calls in particulier for the liberation of Ronak Sfarzadeh;

5. Executions

15    Strongly condemns the death penalty as such, condemns in particular death sentences passed against and executions of juvenile offenders and minors, and calls upon the Iranian authorities to respect internationally recognised legal safeguards with regard to minors such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

16.  Appeals to the members of the Majlis to urgently change the penal code in order to transform the moratorium on stoning into a definite ban of this cruel practice, as well as to adopt a law to ban the execution of juvenile offenders;

17.  Calls on the Iranian authorities to stop using the death penalty for homosexual acts or adultery;

6. Minority rights

18.  Calls on the authorities to respect internationally recognised legal safeguards and rights with regard to persons belonging to religious and ethnic minorities;

7. European initiatives

19.  Proposes to the Majlis to restart the Iranian-EU Human Rights Dialog which has been interrupted since June 2004, and which could be conducted as an initiative of the two parliaments, the Majlis and the European Parliament;

20.  Calls on the Commission to do its best to support civil society, academic, socioeconomic and cultural exchanges between Europe and Iran in the interest of an open dialogue;

21.  Calls on the EU Member States to refrain from expulsions of Iranian Asylum seekers, including those persecuted on the basis of their sexual orientation and calls notably on Greece not to return the three Iranian refugees to Iran;

22.  Supports the Member States in their effort to achieve a debate of the human rights situation in Iran at the level of the UN, notably in supporting the Canadian initiative for a resolution and calls on Iran to express a standing invitation to the UN Rapporteurs and Special Representatives;

23.  Supports the EU Presidency's numerous efforts to address the issue of human rights with the Iranian authorities;

24.  Calls on the Presidency to urgently evaluate the impact of the sanctions on the civilian population especially concerning the access to medicines;

25.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN Human Rights Commission and the Parliament and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.