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UK, Euro MPs call attention to Iran human rights abuses

NCRI – In a webinar hosted by ncr-iran.org on Thursday, April 7, British and European lawmakers discussed the appalling human rights situation in Iran and Tehran’s increasingly destabilizing role in the region.

The conference was moderated by Ms. Dowlat Nowrouzi, the UK Representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The guests were Lord Carlile of Berriew QC CBE from the United Kingdom’s House of Lords, Mr. Steve McCabe MP from the UK House of Commons and Mr. Egidijus Vareikis, a Member of the Lithuanian Parliament.

On March 23, 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) voted to extend the mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, for another year.

The resolution followed Dr. Shaheed’s latest report on human rights situation in Iran, where the UN Special Rapporteur raised continuing serious concerns about the extremely high rate of executions, especially for juvenile offenders, and fundamental flaws in the administration of justice in the country.

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Adding his concern to that of UN Human Rights experts about the alarming increase in the number of executions in Iran, Lord Carlile said, “The Iranian regime continues to execute juveniles in violation of international law. The regime carries out human rights abuses on an industrial scale.”

“I hope officials of Iran’s regime will soon be tried for war crimes at international courts.”

Mr. Vareikis added, “We must step up sanctions on the Iranian regime over its human rights abuses and misconduct in the region.”

“It is wrong to focus on trade deals with the mullahs’ regime and overlook the appalling human rights situation.”

He also mentioned that these concerns were raised at a fringe meeting on Iran at the UN’s Geneva headquarters during the same week as the Human Rights Council deliberated the ongoing atrocities by the Iranian regime.

Mr. Steve McCabe MP pointed to the ongoing atrocities by highlighting a recent report by the Amnesty International criticizing Iran’s regime for executing close to a thousand people, including juvenile offenders, in 2015.

“The Iranian regime is not a peace-seeking regime. [The regime’s Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei says they should build more missiles,” he said referring to a statement by Khamenei in which he said that “those who say [the regime’s] future is in negotiations, not in missiles” are “either ignorant or traitors.”

Mr. McCabe added, “We need new economic sanctions on Iran’s regime over its recent missile tests. Any international company that sells weapons to Iran regime must face sanctions.”

Lord Carlile, who is co-chair of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, added, “Bashar Assad, Russia and the Iranian regime must be removed from Syria to ensure peace. We must escalate economic sanctions on Tehran until it gives freedom to its people.”

He also said, “The Iranian regime is perverting the great religion of Islam for its political purposes.”

Mr. McCabe, added, “The Iranian regime orchestrates and perpetrates attacks on PMOI members in Camp Liberty,” referring to members of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (or Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK) in the camp near the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

“We in the West have no quarrel with the people of Iran; our quarrel is with the regime. The regime continues to support terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq and throughout the Middle East.”

The participants in the conference criticized the upcoming visit to Iran by the Italian Prime Minster Matteo Renzi.

Lord Carlile said, “I’m shocked that Italy’s Prime Minister plans to visit Iran next week ignoring human rights violations in the country.”

Mr. Vareikis said, “Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi must cancel his upcoming visit to Tehran and focus instead on the human rights situation in Iran.”

The European MPs reiterated their support for the Iranian Resistance led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and her 10-point plan for a future free and democratic Iran.