Stop violence and digital censorship in Iran. Members of the European Parliament have called for strong action against Tehran, including technical assistance for Iranians to circumvent internet blockades. In addition to labeling the regime’s security forces as terrorists, Strasbourg is also demanding the access of a UN investigative mission to verify reports of thousands of victims of the recent riots.
Members of the European Parliament (EP) on Thursday in Strasbourg called on the Council of the European Union to immediately proceed with the designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including the Basij militia and the Quds Force, as terrorist organizations. At the same time, they expressed indignation at the repression and mass violence committed by the Iranian regime against the protesters. TASR informs about it according to the press release of the EP.
- MEPs want to label Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as terrorists.
- They expressed outrage at the violence and repression in Iran.
- They demand the extension of sanctions and an immediate end to executions.
- They condemned the restriction of the Internet and support the fight against censorship.
- The number of victims of the protests is still not clear, but it is in the thousands.
Calls for an immediate end to violence against peaceful protesters and a halt to executions
The resolution was supported by 562 MEPs, nine were against and 57 abstained from voting. The European Parliament further demands the expansion and strict enforcement of the EU’s restrictive measures, including the freezing of assets, the ban on issuing visas to all officials and entities responsible for repression in Iran.
MEPs call for an immediate and unconditional end to violence against peaceful protesters, a halt to all planned executions and an end to the killing and other repression of civilians. They also demand the release of all detained protesters, human rights defenders and journalists.
Iran suppressed the protests by restricting the internet
In the adopted text, the MPs also condemned the Iranian regime’s efforts to suppress protests by restricting the Internet. They called on the European Union and its member states to increase technical and financial support for tools to circumvent censorship and to protect against cyber and information manipulation.
At the same time, the European Parliament calls on Tehran to allow immediate and unrestricted access to the UN investigative mission with a mandate to investigate serious violations of international law, including murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearances used to silence dissent. At the same time, it calls for the strengthening of the diplomatic engagement of the EU in order to provide protection, humanitarian aid and support to persons at risk.
Protests in Iran
Demonstrations broke out on December 28 in Tehran in response to the economic crisis, but gradually spread from the Iranian capital to the entire country. After the brutal interventions of the security forces there, they gradually calmed down last week.
Thousands of people have died in the protests, but information on the exact number of victims varies. Iranian authorities said over the weekend that at least 5,000 people, including 500 members of the security forces, had been killed in the protests. However, state TV station IRIB reported on Wednesday that 3,117 people had died during the demonstrations. According to human rights groups, the actual death toll is likely to be much higher.
