European Parliament calls on Iran to end human rights violations in resolution
Members of the European Parliament have passed three resolutions condemning human rights violations in Iran, Kazakhstan and Guatemala. They called on the Iranian government to end its human rights abuses. They also called for the release of lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.
On Tuesday, March 14, members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg passed a resolution calling on the Iranian government to stop pressuring those who defend women's struggles for their rights and those who peacefully protest against the mandatory hijab.
Members of the European Parliament have called on all European countries with political representation in Iran to use diplomatic leverage to support human rights defenders. They also called on Iran to immediately release human rights defenders and journalists who have been convicted and punished for defending the right to freedom of expression.
They have reminded Iranian government officials that at least eight journalists are currently being held in Iranian prisons and that many of them, including those working for the BBC Persian service, have been systematically targeted and targeted for criminal investigations, asset freezes and arbitrary arrests.
The MEPs also cited the high number of executions in Iran, citing the Human Rights Defenders in Iran organization. Last year, Iran was the second-largest executioner in the world.
The resolution calls on the Iranian government to immediately and unconditionally release Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer and Sakharov Prize laureate.
Resolution on Kazakhstan and Guatemala
In another resolution, the European Parliament called on the Kazakh authorities to stop all forms of political repression. MEPs noted the increasing number of political prisoners in Kazakhstan and the tightening of restrictions on freedoms and the right to assembly in the country. They called on the Kazakh government to end the repression of dissidents and journalists and the restriction of free access to information.
The European Parliament has expressed its deep concern at the increasing number of murders, acts of violence and insecurity for all citizens, especially women, human rights defenders and journalists, in Guatemala. The resolution on the country states that while Guatemala continues to address human rights and corruption cases and has made progress in this area, criminal attempts to hinder the work of human rights defenders in the country remain a matter of concern.
Source: DW
