MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Iran, recent cases of human rights violations

15.11.2011

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

Marie-Christine Vergiat, Miguel Portas, Marisa Matias on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0594/2011

B7‑0596/2011

European Parliament resolution on Iran, recent cases of human rights violations

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran,

– having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A. whereas in February 2011 a Dutch-Iranian woman Sahra Bahrami was hanged for drug smuggling while her security charges had not yet been reviewed;

 

B. whereas in October 2011 a six year prison sentence was confirmed after appeal on the prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi;

 

C. whereas in October 2011 prominent actress Marzieh Vafamer was imprisoned an then released following a sentence for one year imprisonment and ninety lashes, due to her part in a film referring to the difficult conditions in which artists operate in Iran;

 

D. whereas the Iranian Government has announced plans to create an internal, parallel state run Internet service, the so-called 'halal internet' which would disconnect the country with the rest of the world giving the Government full control over all the content and internet traffic in the Country;

 

E. whereas, despite the international convention on the rights of children that Iran has ratified, the country continues to condemn the miners and undermine the rights of the child

 

1.  Condemns the harassment, intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders and human rights lawyers in Iran, and calls on the Iranian authorities to end these actions; expresses its concern at the continuing violations by the Iranian authorities of international standards of human rights;

 

2.  Calls on the Iranian authorities to demonstrate that they are fully committed to cooperating with the international community in improving their human rights situation in Iran;

 

3.  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;

 

4.  Calls for the release of journalists, students and human right defenders imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of these rights;

 

5.  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 with the Iranian authorities;

 

6.  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 President of the Iranian Supreme Court and the Government and Parliament of Iran.