THE EUROPEAN UNION CONDEMNS IRAN ‘IN THE STRONGEST TERMS’ ON THE ZAM, SOTOUDEH AND DJALALI CASES
December 20, 2020: In a resolution supported by 614 votes, the European Parliament on 17 December 2020 condemned Iran for violating human rights. The European Union demanded Iran’s release of European citizens of Iranian origin. The EU also called for the necessity of stopping the death penalty execution against the Swedish-Iranian academic, Ahmed Reza Jalali. The countries of the Union also condemned the deterioration of human rights in Iran, stressing that the matter has become a source of severe European concern. The European Union called on Iran to stop carrying out executions and hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations. A member of the European Commission, Helena Daly, said that the Union calls on Iran on every occasion to respect its obligations under international treaties related to the political and civil rights of citizens. “Nasrin Sotoudeh was re-arrested two weeks after her release. She suffers from difficult health conditions. We demand once again for her release and for her to be able to return to her family,” she said. “The European Union is closely following the development of the human rights situation in Iran, which has been deteriorating regularly over the past year. Iran’s execution of Iranian dissident Ruhollah Zam is a very frightening act. The European Union condemns this act in the strongest terms and reiterates its strong initial opposition to the death penalty under any circumstances. Once again, we demand its cancellation,” she added. Daly added that Iran executes 200 people a year. “We believe that Iran must respect the accused’s rights and the necessity to stop using confessions recorded in pressure to prove charges against suspects. We demand that all those responsible for human rights violations, including the violence that was used against the demonstrators, be held accountable.” (Source: Al-Arabia, 18/12/2020)
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