265 Members of the European Parliament Condemn Human Rights Violations in Iran

265 members of the European Parliament have condemned human rights violations in Iran by signing a statement. The statement, prepared by Gérard Deprez, a member of the European Parliament and the head of the 'Friends of a Free Iran' group, expresses strong concern over the high number of executions in Iran. According to these representatives, 'In the first four years of Hassan Rouhani's presidency, three thousand people have been executed in Iran, and therefore, the President of Iran cannot be considered a reformist or moderate.' The statement also deems the recent Iranian presidential elections as neither free nor fair due to the exclusion of opponents from participating. The statement references Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the Minister of Justice in Rouhani's government, noting that he was a member of the death commission responsible for the executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, known as the 'Death Committee,' most of whom were members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization. The European Parliament representatives have called on the head of the Human Rights Commission and the High Council for Human Rights to form a committee to investigate these executions and have urged European governments to condition their relations with Iran, so that the Islamic Republic is compelled to halt executions and make clear progress in its commitment to human rights and women's rights. They have also criticized the inability of women to run for the presidency or be appointed as judges, mandatory hijab laws, and the imprisonment of women's rights activists. The representatives expressed concern over what they termed Iran's 'destructive role in the region,' addressing the active presence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria and Iraq, and called for this military entity to be placed on international blacklists. They have also urged European governments, the United States, and the United Nations to condemn human rights violations in Iran. These European Parliament members believe that European companies intending to sign trade contracts with Iran will incur a high risk of directly or indirectly engaging in transactions with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which they describe as 'truly a terrorist organization.' Gérard Deprez, who is close to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, emphasized that he will participate in a rally on July 27 (July 18) in Paris to show solidarity with opposition groups to the Islamic Republic and to reaffirm the support of 265 European Parliament members for this joint statement. The European Parliament consists of 751 representatives from 28 member countries of the European Union. In this context, Seb Dance from the Labour Party in the European Parliament commented on the impact and consequences of such statements to Radio Farda, stating: 'It should be noted that many of the actions taken by the European Parliament may seem symbolic, but ultimately the Parliament makes decisions based on them and considers them in trade matters.' He added, 'But we must also be transparent. We cannot have trade relations with other countries just because we need their money. We must have the ability to say we want to strengthen our trade relations with other countries, but the fundamental principles of human rights must also be considered by these countries. This is something the European Union must adhere to.' Seb Dance further emphasized the necessity of strengthening civil institutions, stating: 'Working with institutions and strengthening civil society is the main solution. My own experience working with non-profit organizations and people has shown that if these organizations are strengthened and people learn how to hold officials accountable and plan for their future, that is when trust between the two sides is built and relationships are formed.'