IRAN - Immediate release of Iranian blogger and activist Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki. Response from the President of the European Parliament - 21/11/2022

Link Petitions

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/immediate-release-of-iranian-blogger-and-activist-hossein-ronaghi-maleki.html

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/urgent-gravely-ill-iranian-blogger-hossein-ronaghi-maleki-is-back-in-prison-where-he-could-die.html

TEXT LETTER

Dear Ms Ribecco,

The Citizens’ Enquiries Unit of the European Parliament thanks you for your message calling on the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola to support the Iranian people, in particular the case of Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki.

We have read your message carefully. 

Please rest assured that the President of the European Parliament is deeply concerned about the situation in Iran.

President Metsola’s support for people protesting in Iran

Following the brutal death of Mahsa Amini, President Metsola spoke of the situation in Iran at the start of the plenary session on 3 October 2022. In her opening remarks, she said that the European Parliament stands with the women of Iran demanding change.

Addressing the European Parliament on 17 October, President Metsola paid tribute to the brave, defiant men and women protesting in Iran. She stressed that the sanctions adopted by the European Union (EU) ‘will hold accountable those who are responsible for the brutal crimes against women, youths and men - demonstrators outraged by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’.

On 9 November, President Metsola opened the plenary session, stated in response to the deteriorating situation in Iran: ‘We need an international investigation to keep the oppressive regime accountable for its ongoing human rights violations. It is now time to impose further targeted sanctions. There can be no business as usual with the Iranian regime’.

European Parliament’s position on the situation in Iran

On 6 October 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the killing of Mahsa Amini and calling for EU sanctions against her killers and those involved in violence against street protests. 

Parliament condemns the widespread and disproportionate use of force by Iranian security forces against the crowds, and calls on the authorities to immediately release and drop any charges against demonstrators. 

In particular, Parliament deplores the alarming escalation in the use of the death penalty against protesters, dissidents and members of minority groups. It calls on the Iranian government to introduce an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a step towards abolishing it, and to commute all death sentences.

Parliament encourages those EU countries with a diplomatic presence in Tehran to coordinate their actions in order to protect human rights defenders. More information is available in the press release on our website.

EU-Iran relations

The diplomatic relations between the European Union and non-EU countries such as Iran are not led by the European Parliament, but by the European External Action Service (EEAS). Outside its borders, the European Union is usually represented by diplomatic representations, which have a similar role to that of an embassy. However, the EU as a bloc does not have a diplomatic representation in Iran. More information on the EU-Iran relations is available on the EEAS website.

EU sanctions against Iran

Sanctions against certain countries, entities or individuals are not decided by the European Parliament, but by the Council of the European Union (representing the governments of EU countries). EU countries are responsible for implementing these sanctions within their respective jurisdictions.

In response to the death of Mahsa Amini, and the violent repression of the recent demonstrations in Iran, the Council of the EU added, on 17 October and 14 November 2022, 40 individuals and 7 entities to the list of those subject to restrictive measures in the context of the existing Iran human rights sanctions regime. The measures imposed consist of a travel ban and an asset freeze. EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to the listed individuals and entities. Furthermore, the sanctions prohibit exports of equipment to Iran which might be used for internal repression or for monitoring telecommunications. More information about the EU sanctions against Iran is available on the Council’s website. 

We would like to thank you for contacting the President of the European Parliament. 

Yours faithfully,

Citizens' Enquiries Unit (AskEP)

www.europarl.europa.eu/askEP/en