Iran Criticizes Human Rights Statement by 265 European Parliament Members

On Wednesday, July 7, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the statement by 265 members of the European Parliament regarding human rights violations in Iran as a "psychological and propaganda trick" and "false claims based on deception." He stated that this statement was prepared with the aim of "influencing the growing relations" between Tehran and the European Union. According to the state news agency IRNA, Bahram Qasemi added, "We consider such false claims, which are based on deception and incorrect assumptions, to be devoid of any credibility or value." Qasemi noted that previously, "a limited number of European Parliament members" who, according to him, are known for their connections with "hostile groups and the Mojahedin-e Khalq," have attempted to "exploit their position to raise unrealistic claims" about the human rights situation in Iran. He stated that "the issuance of such baseless and invalid statements tarnishes the status and dignity of the European Parliament" and urged its members to "research" the designers and producers of such statements before signing them. A few days earlier, 265 members of the European Parliament signed a statement prepared by Gerard Deprez, a member of the European Parliament and head of the "Friends of a Free Iran" group, condemning human rights violations in Iran, including the high number of executions and the deprivation of women of certain rights. Deprez, who is close to the Mojahedin-e Khalq organization, emphasized that he would participate in a gathering of opposition groups to the Islamic Republic in Paris on August 5 to reaffirm the support of 265 members of the European Parliament for this joint statement. This statement was released while several senior European officials have traveled to Iran following the Vienna nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group, during which agreements have been signed between the parties. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the aim of this action as an attempt "to influence the process of interaction and cooperation and the growing relations" between the Islamic Republic of Iran and European countries. He emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran "while condemning such psychological and propaganda tricks, believes in constructive interaction based on mutual respect with the European Union in all areas of mutual interest." In contrast, Seb Dance, from the Labour Party in the European Parliament, stated to Radio Farda about the impact and consequences of such statements: "We cannot have trade relations with countries just because we need their money. We must have the ability to say that we want to strengthen our trade relations with other countries, but the fundamental principles of human rights must also be considered by these countries." Over the past decades, human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Iran for human rights violations, including the high number of executions, including the execution of political prisoners in the 1980s. Iran has repeatedly rejected these criticisms. Nonetheless, the United Nations Human Rights Council has designated two special rapporteurs since 2011 to investigate the human rights record of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The first rapporteur was Ahmed Shaheed, and the current rapporteur is Asma Jahangir, a Pakistani lawyer who began her work last fall. The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry also announced on Wednesday that the actions of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "will continue in the relentless fight against takfiri and terrorist movements in the region, regardless of the nonsense of the supporters of the criminal terrorists." The members of the European Parliament, in their statement, expressed concern over what they described as "Iran's destructive role in the region," addressing the active presence of the Revolutionary Guard in Syria and Iraq and calling for this military entity to be placed on international blacklists. The presence of Iranian military forces in Iraq and Syria has also led to protests from some regional countries, including several Arab states along the Persian Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, as well as some countries around the world, including the United States. However, Iranian officials declare that the purpose of their forces' presence in Syria and Iraq is to provide advisory services to the governments of these countries in combating the Islamic State (ISIS).