MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Iran, in particular the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh

18.1.2011

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 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Marietje Schaake, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Frédérique Ries, Marielle De Sarnez, Sonia Alfano, Kristiina Ojuland, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff on behalf of the ALDE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0043/2011

B7‑0049/2011

European Parliament resolution on Iran, in particular the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, in particular those concerning human rights;

 

- having regard to the statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on human rights defenders in Iran of 23 November 2010,

 

- having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General of 23 September 2009 on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

 

- having regard to Rule 122 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A.       whereas in January 2011 Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, widely respected for her efforts on behalf of juveniles facing the death penalty and for her defence of prisoners of conscience has been jailed for 11 years on charges of "acts against national security", "anti-regime propaganda" and "membership of Human Rights Defenders Centre",

 

B.        whereas Nasrin Sotoudeh, the 45-year-old lawyer, who has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since her arrest last September, was banned from practicing law and travelling for 20 years,

 

C.       whereas Iran also handed down heavy prison terms to other political prisoners arrested in the aftermath of the disputed Iranian presidential election in June 2009,

 

D.       whereas Iran has recently issued a death sentence on drug-related charges for Zahra Bahrami, the Iranian-Dutch citizen who was arrested during the Ashura Day Protests in 2009 (27 December 2009),

 

E.        whereas according to Shirin Ebadi - the Iranian Nobel peace laureate who organised a three-day protest at the UN in Geneva in support of Sotoudeh last month - the sentence was clear evidence that Iran's judiciary is now manipulated by the intelligence and security services and is no more an independent body,

 

F.        whereas the New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) also called the sentence a "gross miscarriage of justice" and that it should be overturned on appeal.

 

G.       whereas the situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the exercise of civil rights and political freedoms, as well as regarding the rights and status of women, has deteriorated in the last years, notably since the presidential elections of June 2009,

 

 

 

1.  Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, the revoking of the unjust sentence and allow her to return to her professional activities;

 

2.  Condemns the harassment, intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders and human rights lawyers, and calls on the Iranian authorities to end these actions;

 

3.  Expresses its concern at the continuing violations by the Iranian authorities of international standards of human rights which causes a widespread climate of fear;

 

4.  Expresses its concern at the use of censorship, filtering and surveillance technologies to control and censor flows of information and communication, and to track down citizens, notably human rights defenders;

 

5.  Recalls that, unfortunately the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh is not a unique case in Iran, and expresses its support for all other women who have received such a sentence in violation of women's rights and respect for human rights;

 

6.  Urges the Iranian authorities to reconsider the sentence imposed on Zahra Bahrami and to grant her a fair trial and access to Dutch authorities given her Dutch citizenship according to international standards;

 

7.  Calls on the Government of Iran to cooperate fully with all international human rights organisations and to continue cooperation on human rights and justice reform with the United Nations;

 

8.  Calls on the Iranian authorities to recognize EU Member States citizenship of Iranians with dual nationality

 

9.  Deeply deplores the lack of fairness and transparency of the judicial process and calls on the Iranian authorities to guarantee a fair an open procedure;

 

10.  Calls on EU Representatives and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs to re-engage in a human rights dialogue;

 

11.  Calls for EU sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes for Iranian officials who are responsible for human rights violations to end the current impunity

 

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the Iranian Supreme Court and the Government and Parliament of Iran.