Brussels, 17/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 17 December, Vice-President of the European Parliament Isabelle Durant (Greens/EFA, Belgium) called on the EU to take the opportunity of the agreement of 24 November with Iran on its nuclear programme to start a dialogue on human rights. EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis could “start the modalities for a dialogue” with the Iranian authorities, Durant told French news agency AFP. Durant is currently with a European Parliament delegation in Tehran (see EUROPE 10982). “We must be in a position of openness and dialogue, to convince those in charge in Iran that efforts on human rights are in Iran's interest”, she continued. She also criticised the “serious violations of human rights like the death penalty, arbitrary detentions, and the arrests of journalists” or the “rather perverse system” of the official ban on social networks.
“Once the process is open, it will be difficult to interrupt”, Durant stated, saying that “the window of opportunity will not stay open very long”.
Durant added that Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif “has assured us of his resolve to respect the agreement [on the nuclear programme] to the letter” despite “the attack of the American black list, which has not facilitated the talks” of our delegation. (CG/transl.fl)