The EPP Group Coordinator on Foreign Affairs, Jose Ignacio Salafranca MEP, stated on the visit of a European Parliament Delegation to Iran from 12-17 December that: “No member of the EPP Group will take part in this delegation. The EPP Group regrets that the number of executions in Iran has increased since the arrival of the new administration”.
Salafranca, on behalf of the EPP Group, emphasised that “one of the essential elements of interparliamentary dialogue should include human rights, as well as NGOs and representatives of the opposition”.
The European Union maintains numerous sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities, linked to violations of human rights in the country.