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Parliamentary question - E-006307/2020Parliamentary question
E-006307/2020
European Parliament

The detention of Nasibe Semsai and Turkey’s migration policies towards totalitarian regimes

19.11.2020

Answer in writing

Question for written answer  E-006307/2020
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 138
Marco Campomenosi (ID), Anna Bonfrisco (ID), Simona Baldassarre (ID), Rosanna Conte (ID), Valentino Grant (ID), Marco Dreosto (ID), Gianna Gancia (ID), Alessandro Panza (ID), Susanna Ceccardi (ID), Luisa Regimenti (ID), Alessandra Basso (ID), Angelo Ciocca (ID), Antonio Maria Rinaldi (ID), Silvia Sardone (ID), Francesca Donato (ID), Lucia Vuolo (ID), Isabella Tovaglieri (ID), Danilo Oscar Lancini (ID), Elena Lizzi (ID), Annalisa Tardino (ID), Matteo Adinolfi (ID)

Laws concerning the forced wearing of headscarves have been mandatory in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Iranian ‘morality’ police keeps the female population under surveillance, punishing those who appear in public without a veil by arrest, prison sentences, flogging or fines.

During the ‘White Wednesday’ protests in 2018, Iranian women challenged the regime by removing their headscarves or replacing them with white ones in public places. The Iranian authorities responded by waging massive crackdowns: at least 48 women’s rights defenders have been arrested and sentenced in grossly unfair trials[1].

Nasibe Semsai, the leading figure behind this movement, risks deportation and 12 years in prison in Iran after being arrested in Turkey.

The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey manages a total of EUR 6 billion[2] together with the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), which grants Turkey additional support amounting to over EUR 9 billion (2007-2020)[3].

In the light of the above, can the Vice-President/High Representative answer the following questions:

Given the systematic violations of human rights and ongoing violent enforcement campaign by the Iranian regime, will the EU help to establish a process of international accountability and step up the pressure with a view to combating cases such as the one mentioned above?

Given that these donations have not had the slightest effect on the deterioration of Turkish democracy, does the EU intend to continue providing this funding?

Furthermore, how does it intend to prevent Turkey from supporting such regimes?

Supporters[4]

Last updated: 7 December 2020
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