Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-28-Speech-4-150"
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"en.20041028.12.4-150"2
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"Mr President, the health of a nation is measured using various different indicators: the rights of women, the freedom of expression of its press, the democratic nature of its political institutions and the strength of its civil society.
We in Europe regard Iran as a great country. Its deeply rooted culture – and I would even go so far as to say at times its genius – is reflected in its art, its literature and in the strident voice of its civil society. It is a great country that Europe respects.
Today, on the basis of these indicators, Iran is in poor health. A year ago, a few of us visited Iran and hoped, at election time, that the reformers that had been struck off the list of candidates would be reinstated. We were cruelly disappointed. Today, many of us hope that the women of Iran will regain the freedom to wear what they want, the freedom to laugh, the freedom to listen to music and the freedom to hold an opinion and, for example, to hold office as judges. But this is almost a detail.
Today we are concerned – and this urgent motion for a resolution proves it – for three reasons. Today, minors are being sentenced to death in Iran and one, Ateqeh Rajabi, aged 16, has been hanged. Freedom of expression of the press or on the Internet no longer exists. The motion includes the names of journalists who have been arrested, among them Omid Memarian, whom I had personally invited to visit the European Parliament in November. Stonings continue to take place despite the moratorium on stoning which I am still waiting to evolve into real legislation, and the dialogue between the European Union and Iran on human rights has not yet advanced beyond words.
Out of respect for this great country, I would like this situation to change. For the last two days, since tabling this motion, I have been inundated with letters from the Iranian Embassy saying, ‘No, your sources are not reliable, none of this is happening’. Iran should prove that, ‘none of this is happening’ and thus remain a partner which, in terms of both human rights and politics, we in the European Union can continue to value."@en1
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