MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation of ethnic minorities in Iran

12.6.2012 - (2012/2682(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Tarja Cronberg, Isabelle Durant, Barbara Lochbihler, Raül Romeva i Rueda on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0309/2012

B7‑0311/2012

European Parliament resolution on the situation of ethnic minorities in Iran

(2012/2682(RSP))

The European Parliament,

-     having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Iran, with regard in particular to the one of 17 November 2011 on recent cases of human rights violations in Iran,

 

-          having regard to the report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran of 23 September 2011,

 

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

 

 

A.  whereas minorities in Iran continue to be discriminated against and harassed due to their religious or ethnic background; whereas in recent months minority groups have demonstrated, calling to be allowed to exercise such rights, which has led to large-scale imprisonment of participants,

 

B.  whereas imprisoned activists, advocating for the rights of minorities in Iran, are mostly accused of alleged drug trafficking or ‘enmity against God’; whereas detainees run a high risk of being subjected to torture and the death penalty,

 

C.  whereas six members of Iran´s Ahwazi Arab minority are on trial after they were detained without charge for almost a year in connection with their activities on behalf of Iran´s Ahwazi Arab minority,

 

D.  whereas the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran formally provides for the fair treatment of ethnic minorities, including their rights to use their language; whereas, however, in practice members of ethnic minorities, such as Azeris, Arabs, Kurds and Balochs face a wide range of human and civil rights violations, including encroachments on their rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression,

 

E.  whereas, apart from Islam, only Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Judaism are recognised as religions by law, while those who practise unrecognised religions, such as Baha'is and Sufis, are discriminated against and violently repressed; whereas notably the Baha'is cannot exercise their religion and are moreover consequently deprived of all civil rights (e.g. property, higher education); whereas those who practice Sunni islam keep on facing discrimination,

 

F.  whereas violations of human and civil rights of persons belonging to ethnic minorities must be seen within the broader context of widespread human rights violations in Iran,

G.  whereas a dramaric increase in executions, including of juveniles, is recorded in Iran in recent years; whereas the death penalty is regularly used in cases where due process rights were denied to the accused and for crimes that do not meet the international standard for most serious crimes,

 

1. Calls upon the authorities to respect internationally recognised legal safeguards with regard to persons belonging to religious minorities, officially recognised or otherwise; condemns the current disrespect of minority rights and demands that minorities be allowed to exercise all rights granted by the Iranian Constitution and international law; further calls upon the authorities to eliminate all forms of discrimination based on religious or ethnic grounds or against persons belonging to minorities, such as Arabs, Bahaí'is, Azeri, Baluchi, Kurds and Turkmen;

 

2. Calls on the Iranian authorities to ensure that the arrested members of Iran´s Ahwazi Arab minority - Mohammad Ali Amouri, Rahman Asakereh, Hashem Shaabni Amouri, Hadi Rashidi, Sayed Jaber Alboshoka and Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka are tried according to international fair trial standards and without recourse to the death penalty;

 

3.  Urges the Iranian authorities to ensure that the prisoners are not subjected to any torture and other ill-treatment, and that they are allowed to have regular access to lawyers of their choice and medical treatment, if and when needed;

 

4.   Calls on the Iranian government to uphold the equal treatment and non-discrimination provisions contained in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran in all spheres of public life and services, and to protect the freedoms of ethnic minorities to freely associate and express themselves;

 

5. Calls on the Iranian authorities to remove all restrictions and affirm and respect the right to use minority languages, particularly the teaching of minority languages in schools;

 

6. Calls on the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues and the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance to request a visit to Iran in order to report on the situation of human rights, and particularly the plight of the minorities;

 

7. Reiterates its call on the Iranian Government to respect its international obligations, and underscores the pre-eminence of international human rights law, which includes the guarantees stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

 

8. Urges the Iranian Government to immediately ban the death penalty for cases that do not meet the standard of "serious crime" as defined by international law and consider a moratorium on the death penalty for all crimes; urges the Government to prohibit the execution of juveniles and consider commuting all capital sentences for youths currently facing a death sentence;

 

9. Calls on the Commission, in close cooperation with the European Parliament, to make effective use of the new Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights in order to ensure democracy and respect for human rights in Iran, for example by supporting uncensored media;

 

10. Welcomes the upcoming visit by a Majlis delegation to the European Parliament scheduled for July 2012 and expresses the hope that this can provide the framework for a fruitful exchange of views as well as that the present resolution can form part of a continuous dialogue which may lead to a gradual rapprochement between Iran and the European Union on the basis of shared values as enshrined in the UN Charter and Conventions;

 

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