It is time for the EU to ‘re-think’ its relations with Iran. That was the message from ECR Group Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Fotyga ahead of a debate and vote in the European Parliament this week.
In a draft resolution to be voted on Thursday, Parliament is set to call on EU leaders and the European Commission to adopt a fresh approach to the Iranian Government following their brutal use of force against protestors that has reportedly seen at least 304 people killed and thousands more arbitrarily tortured and detained.
Triggered after the sudden introduction of a fuel price increase, the protests quickly swept Iran and also led to a week-long nationwide internet shutdown. Despite repeated calls for restraint from the international community, the ruthless repression of protestors, journalists and human rights defenders has continued unabated. Now the European Parliament is demanding action.
“It is time to re-think our relationship with Iran. The international community cannot continue to engage with a country that is murdering its own people. Tehran’s barbaric crackdown shows us what the Ayatollahs and the Iranian Government are all about – personal power and wealth over the basic rights of their citizens,” said speaking ahead of the debate, Fotyga.
“Their violent suppression is designed specifically to strike fear into the population and to prevent others from speaking up about the Government’s atrocities. We cannot continue to stand by and let this happen, our approach to the brutal Iranian regime must be revised immediately,” she added.
