197 Members of the European Parliament Support Iranian Protesters

197 members of the European Parliament issued a statement expressing support for the recent protesters in Iran, voicing concern over the suppression of these protests and calling for action from the European Union and the UN Human Rights Commissioner. The statement, released on Monday, March 18, mentions 'dozens killed in the streets' during the nationwide protests in January and refers to 'at least 13 deaths due to torture in prisons.' Iranian officials have provided different statistics, claiming at least 25 fatalities during the January protests and acknowledging only three deaths in prison, labeling them as 'suicides.' The first signature on the statement belongs to Gérard Deprez, the head of the 'Friends of a Free Iran' group. In a message, Deprez stated that they hope this Nowruz will bring spring of freedom and democracy for the people of Iran. He emphasized that many Iranians have 'clearly expressed their desire for regime change in Iran.' The statement also highlights the 'deteriorating human rights situation in Iran following the recent protests.' It references a conversation two months ago between the presidents of Iran and France, where Hassan Rouhani allegedly asked Emmanuel Macron to take action against the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran, which is based in Paris. At that time, the Iranian presidency stated that Rouhani labeled the Mujahedin as 'terrorists' and requested the French government to fulfill its legal obligations regarding this group. Gérard Deprez also pointed out statements from senior Iranian officials, interpreting them as an indication of Iran's emphasis on the role of the National Council of Resistance, the political wing of the Mujahedin, in the recent protests. The 197 members of the European Parliament also called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a fact-finding group regarding the situation in Iranian prisons, political prisoners, and those arrested during the recent protests, especially those who died in custody. These European politicians stated that the silence of EU officials on this matter is 'unacceptable' and that human rights and women's rights in Iran cannot be overlooked due to political, commercial, or nuclear deal considerations. The European Parliament consists of 751 members from 28 EU member countries.