Mohammad Javad Larijani: The Judiciary Will Not Allow the EU to Establish an Office

Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of Iran's Judiciary, reacted on Tuesday, November 5, to the European Parliament's statement expressing a desire to engage in dialogue with Iranian officials regarding human rights and the development of trade relations. He deemed the statement to have 'many flaws' and emphasized that the judiciary would not permit the European Union to establish an office in Iran. He stated, 'Although this statement lacks executive power, it reflects the positions of the European Union. We do not endorse this statement, and even in trade discussions, they view us merely as a consumer market; we see many issues in this statement.' According to ISNA news agency, Larijani accused the European Union of committing violence and violating human rights, adding, 'They do not have the authority to tell us that we need to reform ourselves.' The recent statement from the European Parliament indicated that the EU wishes to have an office in Iran to deepen cultural, educational, commercial, and environmental relations, allowing for better cooperation on human rights issues between Iran and the EU. However, Larijani considered the opening of this office as the establishment of a 'den of corruption' in Iran and stated that the judiciary would certainly not allow its opening. Nonetheless, he mentioned that 'in the human rights discussion, we negotiate with mutual respect to show that besides their words, there are many good points in the human rights discourse.' The European Parliament's recent statement emphasized that following the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5 group and the lifting of sanctions against Tehran, it is now an opportune time for Iran to implement reforms domestically and improve its relations with the EU. The statement referenced recent reports by Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, and the EU's annual reports on human rights and executions in Iran, urging Iranian officials, particularly those in the judiciary, to engage in dialogue with the EU on these matters. The European Parliament stressed that it does not seek to interfere in Iran's internal affairs but believes that these dialogues can be based on mutual trust and respect and adhere to international standards. Issues such as 'lack of freedom of expression,' 'systematic internet surveillance and filtering,' and the detention of dual citizens in Iran were also criticized in the European Parliament's statement. The statement criticized the number of executions, the widespread execution of drug offenders, and the execution of offenders under 18 years old in Iran, with a reduction in the use of the death penalty being one of the focal points of discussions with Iranian officials. The Iranian Foreign Ministry recently announced that discussions on human rights could be one of the 'core topics' of negotiations between Iran and the EU. Bahram Qasemi, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, announced on Monday, November 3, that comprehensive negotiations between Iran and Europe would take place in December in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, emphasizing that discussions on the Syrian crisis are not on the agenda for negotiations with Europe. He stated, 'Due to our and the Europeans' perspectives on human rights, these discussions have existed in the past and will continue.' He also declared that discussions on human rights with Europe are conditional on being 'bilateral' and added, 'Our perspective on human rights from an Islamic viewpoint has a unique characteristic that may not be understandable to some of them; we can listen to their words and also express our views to them.' According to Bahram Qasemi, in addition to human rights, various topics such as technology, investment, and Iranians residing in Europe could also be discussed in the meetings between Iranian and European negotiators. The European Union has repeatedly criticized the human rights situation in Iran in recent years and called for the release of imprisoned journalists and political and civil activists. However, some Iranian officials consider the EU's criticisms of the human rights situation in Iran as 'interference in Iran's internal affairs.' In the most recent case, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the EU's critical statement regarding the prison sentence of Narges Mohammadi, a civil activist, as 'interventionist' and urged the EU to 'avoid repeating unconventional statements with a more accurate understanding of judicial processes in Iran.' The discussion of opening an EU office in Iran, which has been raised for several years, has faced opposition within Iran, including from Mohammad Reza Naqdi, head of the Basij Organization, who two years ago strongly opposed this issue, stating that the EU is 'worse than livestock' and said, 'The EU is wrong to think it can open an office in Tehran.'