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IRAN. EU PRESIDENCY EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT IRAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS
May 5, 2006: in a statement from Austria's government, which holds the rotating EU presidency, the 25-nation bloc said it was particularly worried about 10 executions carried out at Iran's Evin prison on April 19 and the indictment of human rights defender Abdolfattah Soltani.
“The EU calls on Iranian authorities to respect Mr. Soltani's right to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law,” the statement said. It also called on the Tehran regime “to stop penalizing individuals for contacts with embassies.”
“The European Union also expresses its serious concern about the general increase in executions in Iran. This trend is confirmed by the 10 executions carried out recently in the prison of Evin,” the EU said. “The EU reiterates that it is, as a matter of principle, opposed to the death penalty under all circumstances and calls for its universal abolition. Where the death penalty still exists, the EU calls on states to progressively restrict its use....” (Sources: The Canadian Press, 05/05/2006)
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