The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Iran.
The resolution had been tabled by the EPP, ECR, ALDE, S&D, EFD GUE/NGL, Greens/ALE groups.
Following the elections which took place on 12 June 2009, Parliament expresses serious doubts concerning the accuracy of the election results which have led to the confirmation of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad for a second term of office, despite strong indications of large-scale electoral fraud. It considers that the credibility of the Iranian President has been seriously undermined. Members pay tribute to the courage of all those Iranian men and women who are defending their basic freedoms and democratic principles and expressing their wish to live in a society free from repression and intimidation. They pay a special tribute to the Iranian women who played a crucial role in the post-election demonstrations in June, and in particular to Neda Agha Soltan, who has become the symbol of the violent repression, and also to Shadi Sadr, the human rights activist, arrested on 15 July 2009 for speaking publicly about human rights violations carried out in prisons.
Parliament condemns the large-scale and excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and alleged torture in the repression of protests over the disputed Iranian presidential elections. It calls on the Iranian government to respect fundamental civil and political rights and in particular the right to free expression, and demands that all peaceful demonstrators and all those arrested in the wider context of the recent unrest - be they students, academics, campaigners, journalists or human rights activists - be released unconditionally. It notes that the violent repression of political opponents, human rights activists, journalists, bloggers, teachers, intellectuals, academics, gay people, women, students, trade unionists and members of religious, ethnic and language minorities has increased, and deplores the systematic restriction of freedom of information by means of blocking websites, banning them from covering unauthorized demonstrations, and implementing new restrictions requiring journalists to obtain permission before covering any story.
Accordingly, the resolution recommends that a Special Envoy be dispatched by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the situation of political detainees and ensure that the Iranian authorities adhere to international procedural standards and to their legal human rights obligations. It calls on the Commission to establish an EU delegation in Tehran in order to promote and strengthen dialogue with the authorities and with civil society in Iran, and to intensify cooperation, notably on aid for refugees and the fight against drug trafficking.
Parliament calls on the Iranian authorities:
Members strongly condemn the death sentences and executions in Iran, in particular those imposed on juvenile offenders. They also condemn the suicide bomb attack which took place in Sistan-Baluchestan province on 17 October 2009, in which dozens of people were killed or wounded, being concerned that this suicide attack may be linked to the repression of ethnic and religious minorities in this province. Parliament rejects the use of terrorism as a means of resolving political disputes.