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European Parliament blasts Iran rights abuses |
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Friday, 17 November 2006 |
Iran Focus
 London, Nov. 17 – The European Parliament (EP) voted on Thursday to condemn institutionalised violations of human rights in Iran.
According to the EP, the situation regarding the exercise of civil rights and political freedoms in Iran had deteriorated in the last year, notably since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took over as President.
“The practice of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, solitary confinement, clandestine detention, cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment and impunity for State agents continue to be widespread”, said the resolution, adopted by 60 votes to zero with 3 abstentions.
The Parliament said that it was “deeply concerned” about the increasing reports regarding the sentencing to death and execution of juvenile offenders, noting, “Iran accounts for the highest number of juvenile executions worldwide”.
The EP was “particularly concerned about the increasing reports of arbitrary arrests of and threats against journalists, cyber-journalists and webloggers; whereas at least 16 journalists have reportedly been arrested since the beginning of the year, ranking Iran among the very worst countries in the world for the prosecution of journalists and for its crackdown on press freedom by closing virtually all critical newspapers and online magazines, in which connection family members are being harassed, travel bans imposed on journalists and satellite dishes confiscated”.
The EP deeply deplored the deaths-in-custody of student activist Akbar Mohammadi and political prisoner Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi.
It “is appalled that there are still cases of executions of minors and sentences of stoning and that, despite government assurances, at least two sentences of stoning have been carried out”. |
