Compte rendu in extenso des débats

Jeudi 19 décembre 2019 - Strasbourg

7.4. Répression violente des récentes manifestations en Iran (RC-B9-0271/2019, B9-0271/2019, B9-0272/2019, B9-0273/2019, B9-0274/2019, B9-0275/2019, B9-0276/2019)

Oral explanations of vote

  Matthew Patten (NI). – Madam President, I voted for the resolution condemning the violent crackdown in Iran. I think I join with my MEP colleagues in absolutely deploring the deaths that have been created there and also the imprisonment of political prisoners like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who should be freed immediately. But I would say this: gestures like this resolution will only go so far. There’s nothing better that my MEP colleagues really like than virtue-signalling about the US and particularly President Trump. But America is the only nation that has the power, the resource and the relationships to help us achieve what we want to achieve through this resolution. So going forwards, I would respectfully ask my colleagues to respect what has been Europe’s greatest protector and ally for many, many years, and if we want to make a difference in Tehran, we need to start in Washington.