P6_TA(2007)0488#Iran#European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2007 on Iran
Date: 2007-10-25
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Iran, death penalty, human rights, protection of minorities, right of asylum, torture, women's rights

16.10.2008

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Thursday 25 October 2007

30. Welcomes the increasing participation of the media in publicising the work of the Ombudsman and
applauds the communications strategy adopted by the Ombudsman using various means of informing
citizens and raising public awareness which, by helping to establish a variety of forms of dialogue aimed
at bringing citizens closer to European Union institutions and bodies, should, in the longer term, lead to
greater awareness of citizens' rights and Community competences, as well as a greater understanding of the
European Ombudsman's sphere of competence;

31.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European
Ombudsman, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and their ombudsmen or similar
competent bodies.

P6_TA(2007)0488

Iran

European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2007 on Iran

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, notably those concerning human rights,

— having regard to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and
the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to all of which Iran is a party,

— having regard to the EU-Iran Human Rights Dialogue,

— having regard to the statement by its President on the stoning to death of a man in Iran and the
EU Presidency Statement and the statement by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on the stoning to
death of Mr Jafar Kiani,

— having regard to the Declarations by the Presidency on behalf of the EU of 25 May 2007 and 3 August
2007 concerning the death sentence imposed on Sian Paymard, the death sentences imposed on Adnan
Hassanpour and Abdolvahed ‘Hiva’ Botimar, the imminent execution of Mr Behnam Zare and the death
sentence imposed on Mr Ali Mahin Torabi,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the exercise of civil rights and political
freedoms has deteriorated in the last two years, notably since the presidential elections of June 2005,
despite the fact that Iran has undertaken to promote and protect human rights and fundamental free-
doms under the various international instruments in this field,

B. whereas the number of executions in Iran, including those of minors and homosexuals, often carried
out in public by hanging or stoning, has dramatically increased, bringing the number of executions
recorded since the start of 2007 to at least 244 (1), a number which exceeds the 177 executions
recorded in 2006,

C. whereas the UN General Assembly, during its 62nd session in 2007, will vote on a resolution calling
for a global moratorium on executions, to be introduced as a step towards the abolition of the death
penalty,

(1) Source: Amnesty International as at 18 October 2007.

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Thursday 25 October 2007

D. whereas recently, for the first time, journalists — Adnan Hassanpour and Abdolvahed Botimar — have

been sentenced to death,

E. whereas the practice of

torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, solitary confinement, clandestine
detention, the application of cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment and impunity for state agents
continue to be widespread,

F. whereas a growing number of intellectuals are being detained and whereas recently the wave of repres-
sion has been extended to persons having dual nationality, who face the severest charges of collabora-
tion with foreign powers or espionage,

G. whereas several activists belonging to the women's rights movement are being or have been prosecuted
for their involvement in the ‘one million signatures’ campaign, which seeks to obtain the repeal of laws
that discriminate against women and which plans to submit those one million signatures to the
National Parliament (Majlis),

H. whereas Iran is still not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Discrimination against Women,

I. whereas in June 2007 the Iranian authorities cracked down on two student organisations in Tehran;
whereas this resulted in arrests, although a number of the students were subsequently released on bail;
whereas, in addition, the Alumni Association of Iran was closed down, in violation of Iranian law and
international human rights standards on freedom of association,

J. whereas the introduction of procedural guidelines for publication by the Ministry of Culture and the
Islamic Guidance has been followed by reinforced censorship, and whereas journalists are increasingly
harassed and imprisoned, while at the same time media outlets are being regularly closed by the autho-
rities,

K. whereas the repression of the trade union movement has increased, with arrests of its renowned leaders
such as Mansour Osanlou, president of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company
(SWTBC), and his deputy, Ebrahim Madadi, as well as Mahmoud Salehi, former President of the Bakery
Workers' Union,

L. whereas minorities are increasingly discriminated against and harassed due to their religious or ethnic
background, notably in the border regions (Kurdistan, Khuzestan, Sistan-Baluchistan, Azerbaijan), and
whereas this includes continued detention and the sentencing to death of some of their members,

M. whereas members of the religious community of the Baha'is cannot exercise their faith, are exposed to
severe persecution and deprived of virtually all civil rights (e.g. property rights, access to higher educa-
tion), and whereas their religious sites are being vandalised,

N. whereas Iranian asylum-seekers who have been sent back to Iran by third countries run severe risks of
persecution, as shown by the recent case of Rasool Ali Mezrea, a member of the Al Ahwaz Liberation
Organisation, who is threatened with execution after having been forcibly returned from Syria, despite
his status as a recognised UNHCR refugee,

1.
Expresses its deep concern about the deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran during recent
years; appeals to the Iranian authorities to honour their obligations in accordance with international human
rights standards and instruments ratified by Iran, by promoting universal values and granting all persons the
right to exercise their civil rights and political freedoms;

2.
Strongly condemns the execution by stoning of Mr Jafar Kiani on 5 July 2007 in the village of
Aghche-kand (Qazvin Province) and calls on the Iranian authorities to implement their declared moratorium
on stoning; demands that the Islamic Penal Code of Iran be reformed in order to abolish stoning;

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3.
Is deeply concerned about the dramatic increase in the repression of civil-society movements in Iran
over the past year; calls on the Iranian authorities to put an end to harsh repression against women's rights
defenders, activists of the ‘one million signatures’ campaign, student movements, minority rights defenders,
intellectuals, teachers, journalists, bloggers and trade unionists;

Thursday 25 October 2007

4.
Reminds the Government of Iran of its obligations, as a signatory to the International Covenants on
Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to safeguard fundamental human rights,
notably freedom of opinion, and calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience;

Is appalled at the spiralling numbers of executions recorded, many of those executed having under-

5.
gone unfair trials;

6.
Calls on Iran to fully respect its Code of Criminal Procedure and to grant the right to a fair trial to all
individuals, particularly by allowing them to have access to a lawyer from the beginning of the judicial
process; urges that adequate medical assistance be unconditionally provided to those prisoners who are in
poor health;

7.
Strongly condemns the death sentences and executions in Iran, in particular those imposed and/or
carried out on juvenile offenders and minors, and urges the Iranian authorities to respect internationally
recognised legal safeguards with regard to minors, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Calls on the Iranian authorities to put into practice the ban on torture which was announced by the

8.
Head of the Judiciary in April 2004;

9.
Calls on the Iranian Parliament to amend the Iranian Press Law and the Penal Code to bring them into
line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and notably to repeal all criminal provi-
sions dealing with the peaceful expression of opinions, including in the press;

Requests that the numerous press organs which have been closed down or censored be allowed to

10.
function under established rules of freedom of the press;

Calls on the Iranian authorities to accelerate the process of investigation into the suspicious deaths

11.
and killings of intellectuals and political activists, and to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice;

12.
Appeals to the members of the Majlis to urgently amend the Penal Code in order to transform the
moratorium on stoning into a definitive ban, and to adopt legislation outlawing the execution of juvenile
offenders and the imposition of the death penalty for homosexual acts or adultery;

13.
Calls on the Iranian authorities to implement all required safeguards in capital cases and to limit the
scope of crimes punishable by death, as a first step towards the total abolition of the death penalty; calls on
the people of Iran to support the campaign entitled ‘Stop the Death Penalty: the World Decides’ initiated by
the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) and other non-governmental organisations;

Calls on the authorities to respect internationally recognised legal safeguards with regard to persons
14.
belonging to religious minorities, officially recognised or otherwise; condemns the current disrespect of
minority rights and calls for minorities to be able to exercise all rights granted by the Iranian Constitution
and international law; further calls on the authorities to eliminate all forms of discrimination on religious or
ethnic grounds or against persons belonging to minorities, such as Kurds, Azeris, Arabs, Baluchis and
Baha'is; calls in particular for the de facto ban on practising the Baha'i faith to be lifted;

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Thursday 25 October 2007

15.
Calls on the Iranian authorities to unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, notably the
journalists Emaddedin Baghi, Ako Kurdnasab, Ejlal Ghavami, Mohammad Sadegh Kaboudvand, Said Matin-
pour, Adnan Hassanpour, Abdolvahed Botimar, Kaveh Javanmard and Mohammad Hassan Fallahieh, the
unionists Mansour Osanlou, Ebrahim Madadi and Mahmoud Salehi, and the students Ehsan Mansouri,
Majid Tavakoli and Ahmad Ghassaban; condemns the arrest and imprisonment of human rights defender
Dr Sohrab Razzaghi on 24 October 2007 and calls for his immediate and unconditional release;

16.
Urges the United Nations General Assembly to vote on a resolution explicitly and decisively con-
demning the violation of fundamental human rights in Iran and to adopt urgent measures to halt the recent
wave of executions in Iran;

17.
Calls on the Council and the Commission to closely monitor developments in Iran and also to raise
concrete cases of human rights abuses; calls on the Council and the Commission to report on the monitor-
ing of the situation in Iran;

18.

Proposes to restart the EU-Iran Human Rights Dialogue, which has been interrupted since June 2004;

Reaffirms its support for all those organisations and individuals in Iran that pursue dialogue in their

19.
struggle for democratic rights;

Calls on the Commission to do its best to support civil society, academic, socio-economic and cul-
20.
tural exchanges between Europe and Iran in the interests of an open dialogue, notably through the new
Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights;

Calls on the EU Member States to refrain from expulsions of Iranian asylum-seekers, including those
21.
persecuted on the basis of their sexual orientation, and calls on Greece not to return Mohammad Hassan
Talebi, Mohammad Hossein Jaafari and Vahid Shokoohi Nia to Iran;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Represen-
22.
tative for the CFSP, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council, the Head of the State Supreme Court of Iran and the
Government and Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

P6_TA(2007)0489

Pakistan

European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2007 on Pakistan

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Pakistan, in particular its resolution of 12 July 2007 (1),

— having regard to the Cooperation Agreement of 24 November 2001 between the European Community

and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Partnership and Development,

— having regard to its resolution of 24 May 2007 on Kashmir (2),

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2007)0351.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2007)0214.