Iran Focus: London, Oct. 14 The European Parliament overwhelmingly voted to condemn Iran on Thursday for both its nuclear non-compliance and widespread human rights violations. Iran Focus
London, Oct. 14 The European Parliament overwhelmingly voted to condemn Iran on Thursday for both its nuclear non-compliance and widespread human rights violations.
Some 499 Euro-MPs voted in favour of the resolution urging Iran to fully cooperate with inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, adding further that Tehran should give international inspectors access to individuals, documentation relating to procurement, dual-use equipment, certain military-owned workshops and research and development sites.
The EP gave its full support to the resolution adopted on 24 September 2005 by the IAEA Board of Governors, criticising Iran for non-compliance with the IAEA’s Statute and underlining the resulting absence of confidence that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
It called on Iran to re-establish full and sustained suspension of all aspects of its uranium enrichment activities including through tests or production at the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan and to permit the IAEA Director General to reinstate the seals that have been removed at that facility.
On Irans state of human rights, the European Parliament strongly condemned death sentences passed against and execution of juvenile offenders and minors, which in numerous cases represent a punishment for sexual acts and sexual orientation not considered crimes on the basis of international legal standards.
It also condemned the treatment of minorities in Iranian Kurdistan and Arab-dominated Khuzestan province.
The European Parliament highlighted and condemned the arrests and imprisonment of cyberjournalists and webloggers and the parallel censorship of several online publications, weblogs and internet sites as well as the recent arbitrary arrests of journalists and severe restriction of the media in Iran.
The resolution also called on the Council of Ministers to review the European Union’s list of terrorist organisations, with a number of Euro-MPs speaking out during the debate prior to the vote against the terror-tag placed on the main Iranian opposition group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK).
The European Parliament calls on the Council to examine the way in which Parliament may become involved in the regular updating of Council Common Position No 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism, taking into account developments from 2001 onwards”, the final resolution stated.
