On Monday 16 September, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, paid tribute to the memory of Jina Mahsa Amini, on the anniversary of her death, and to the Iranian movement ‘Women, Life, Freedom’, denouncing the “dire human rights situation in Iran”.
According to Mr Borell, the EU and its Member States continue to call on the Iranian authorities to respect and defend the rights of its citizens, to allow peaceful demonstrations and to guarantee their fundamental freedoms.
Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be respected in all circumstances, the High Representative said, stressing that a strong and free civil society was essential in Iran. He demanded that the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations in the country be held accountable for their actions.
The country must eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of systemic discrimination against all women and girls in public and private life and to take gender-responsive measures to prevent and ensure protection for women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms, added the High Representative.
Mr Borrell also reiterated the EU’s “strong and unequivocal” opposition to the death penalty at all times, in all places and in all circumstances.
Finally, the EU called on Iran to immediately cease the “unacceptable and illegal” practice of arbitrary detention, including of Europeans, and to release them immediately.
The European Parliament “honours the memory” of Ms Amini. At the opening of the plenary session of the European Parliament, the President of the EU institution, Roberta Metsola, also paid tribute to Jina Mahsa Amini. “The European Parliament defends and supports these courageous women and men who are fighting for equality, dignity and freedom in Iran”, she stressed, promising that MEPs would stand by those who risk their lives to keep the freedom movement “alive and well”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)