08 March 2022 :
Official Decries EP’s Resolution on Death Penalty in Iran as Politically Motivated
An Iranian official denounced the recent European Parliament resolution on death sentence in Iran, saying it is based on political goals that does not represent reality on the ground. Kazem Gharibabadi, the secretary-general of Iran’s Human Rights Office, made the remarks on Friday following a new report that he says does not indicate existing realities in Iran, but it has been prepared in according with political purposes. Gharibabadi, citing the fact that the death sentence is used in 55 countries throughout the world, encouraged the European Parliament and European states to respect the laws and cultural variety of other countries when it comes to human rights. According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, when it comes to capital crimes, the death penalty is permissible, according to the Iranian official, who also noted that Europeans should avoid forcing other countries to accept and implement European standards, which would be in violation of their sovereignty. Gharibabadi also criticized the European Parliament for supporting the MKO terrorist group and referring to such a dangerous group as political opponents, saying it is shameful for members of the European Parliament to ignore the crimes and massacres committed by terrorists who have killed over 12,000 civilian Iranians and continue to commit crimes while freely traveling through European countries. In response to the resolution's support for Ahmad-Reza Jalali, an Iranian-European national, the official chastised Europe's strategy of using such people to spy on other countries, including Iran. He went on to explain that several European countries have deported Iranian nationals to the US on false pretenses that they were evading illegal US sanctions, and he called on Europe to stop abusing Iranians' rights. The death penalty is a law that tries to implement rights of victims' families; thus, the government cannot change the rule; however, the Iranian judiciary system and popular groups try to persuade victims' families to stop capital punishment executions, he said, urging the European Parliament to revoke the resolution, which has been ratified as a result of lobbies’ influence.
