European Parliament approves resolution condemning Iran’s human rights violations

NCRI , 25 January 2011 – On January 18th, 2011, the European Parliament approved a resolution in consensus condemning human rights violations in Iran, calling for the regime’s officials and entities responsible in this regard to be banned from traveling to European Union member states and their financial assets be frozen.
This resolution described the 11-year prison sentencing of Nasrin Sotoudeh for defending human rights and representing political prisoners in court as a clear example of the lack of law and order and justice in Iran under the mullahs’ rule, emphasizing that the most atrocious cases of torture and violations of human rights are continuing in Iran including:
Torture and misbehavior towards prisoners; extracting coerced ‘confessions’; depriving prisoners of sleep; solitary confinement; secret incarceration; vicious, inhumane and insulting behavior towards prisoners; physical torment and sexual violence.
The European Parliament calls on the UN to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate cases of human rights violations and bring the perpetrators to justice. The EP also calls on the UNHCR and European Council to take more measures to actively protect human rights activists in Iran.
The European Parliament views the sentencing against Nasrin Sotoudeh as a small portion of the systematic aggressions against lawyers and human rights activists in Iran, calling on Catherine Ashton to demand her release. The resolution further said Ashton must also call on the Iranian regime to stop persecuting human rights activists.