High
Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs
and
Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission
Helga Schmid
Deputy
Secretary General for Political Affairs
European
External Action Service
Brussels,
4 March 2014
Dear
Catherine Ashton
Dear
Helga Schmid
First of
all, let me stress that I explicitly welcome your visit to Iran, scheduled for
the end of this week. With an interim deal on its nuclear programme in place,
Iran has taken an important step towards improving relations not only on the
nuclear dossier, but in general. Whatever the final result, this is an
important success of (inter alia) European diplomacy. At the same time and more
than ever before, keeping the momentum and continuing talks in an honest and
open manner will be paramount.
Honesty
and openness, however, implies that talks of whichever nature should not be
conducted in a human-rights vacuum. This holds for trade talks with China or
Colombia as much as for geo-strategic discussions with Saudi Arabia or Israel.
And it is true for Iran. Indeed, despite first signs of openness and reform
such as announcements in recent days to take back a number of media
restrictions, the human-rights situation in Iran remains alarming. I therefore
would like to call on you to also address the human-rights situation in Iran
during your upcoming discussions with Tehran. And I would particularly like to
ask you to discuss a number of individual cases ‒ for which the window of
opportunity tends to be wide open in situations of possible change like the one
we are experiencing today.
Among
others, I am deeply concerned about the situation of Reza Shahabi, Reza
Pourshajareh, Amanollah Mostaghim, Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi, Saleh
Kohandel, and Hossein Kazemeini-Boroujerdi. All are political prisoners in
urgent need of medical care and have only been released for medical treatment
temporarily.
Iranian
trade unionist Reza Shahabi, held in Tehran's Evin Prison, is serving a
six-year prison sentence after he was convicted in April 2012 of
"gathering and colluding against state security" and "spreading
propaganda against the system". Hospital doctors concluded, in contrast,
that Reza Shahabi required care outside of prison and warned that, without
further treatment, he may suffer paralysis on the left side of his body.
Mohammad
Reza Pourshajari, a 53-year-old blogger, was handcuffed and taken to hospital
because of different medical problems, but never got treated appropriately. He
has recently been held at Karaj Central Peditentiarry prison, and his health is
reported to be alarming, partly due to alleged torture and ill-treatment by
prison personnel.
Amanollah
Mostaghim, Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi and Saleh Kohandel are in a similar
situation, only at Rajaii Shahr prison. According to my information and despite
ever-more critical health conditions, they do not receive proper medical
treatment. Special examinations in medical centres outside of prison,
prescribed by the doctors, seem not to have been allowed by the authorities to
date.
Hossein
Kazemeini-Boroujerdi was arrested at his home in Tehran on 8 October 2006,
along with more than 300 of his followers, during violent clashes with the
security forces. He is reported to be gravely ill, but has been prohibited from
receiving the medical care he needs. Moreover, there are reports of torture and
ill-treatment.
I would
very much appreciate if you could take the chance offered by the upcoming talks
to speak in favour of these imprisoned men, as much as of all other political
prisoners in Iran detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to
freedom of expression.
Thank
you in advance.
Sincerely
Yours
Barbara
Lochbihler
Member of the European Parliament
Chair of the Human
Rights Subcommittee in the European Parliament
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment