At the initiative of Gérard Deprez (ALDE, Belgium), the chair of the Friends of a Free Iran group at the European Parliament, 265 MEPs called on Monday 26 June for measures against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
"We urge the EU and the European member states, the US and the UN to condemn human rights violations in Iran, blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guards and call for those who were involved in crimes against humanity to be brought to international tribunals", they say in an open letter. While there is no black list, sanctions can be taken by the United Nations Security Council or the EU on the grounds of human rights violations. According to the 265 MEPs, who come from all political groups, "the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that controls most of the Iranian economy is involved in both internal suppression and spreading death and destruction in the rest of the region".
The MEPs also state that "any further expansion of relations with Iran must be conditioned to a clear progress on human rights, women’s rights and a halt to executions". They add that over 3,000 people were hung during the first mandate of "moderate" President Hassan Rouhani. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)