On Tuesday 20 January, MEPs deplored the brutality of the Iranian mullahs in quelling the protests in Iran, which have already claimed 4,000 lives since December. Some of them are calling for new sanctions and the inclusion of the Revolutionary Guards on the EU list of terrorist organisations.
Others, however, called for no foreign interference and, on the contrary, for the lifting of current Western sanctions, which have impoverished the Iranian population without preventing the weakening of the Revolutionary Guards, as Belgian MEP Marc Botenga (The Left) put it.
The debate was also an opportunity for some MEPs, notably from the EPP, to denounce their left-wing political colleagues, such as the Spanish MEP Esteban González Pons, who was critical of the absence of “flotillas” from the European Parliament to defend the Iranian people, as was the case for Gaza.
The Italian President of the ECR, Nicola Procaccini, also used this argument, wondering “where are the coloured t-shirts in this chamber” to defend Iran and women’s rights.
On a less politicised note, Renew Europe Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis attacked France, Spain and Italy for “blocking” the inclusion of the Revolutionary Guards on the EU list, and called on the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, to put pressure on these three countries.
Giannis Maniatis (S&D, Greek) wants the EU to stand by the Iranian people, who “must be able to decide without foreign interference”. It also means doing everything “through diplomatic channels”.
But the ECR leader retorted that it was not a question of “foreign interference, but of a moral responsibility” and that “the EU cannot stand idly by - it must mobilise politically and diplomatically”.
During her speech, Kaja Kallas reiterated that “violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable under any circumstances and in any place”.
In her view, the brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations “and the sentencing of demonstrators are just the latest example of the deterioration in Iran’s behaviour. Iran’s illicit nuclear activities, its military support for Russia, its support for terrorist organisations in the Middle East, hybrid attacks on EU soil and the arbitrary detention of European citizens are examples of this”.
The EU has already imposed “far-reaching sanctions on Iran” and “today we are proposing new restrictions, based on expertise, on the components that Iran can use for the production of drones and missiles. These restrictions will further limit Iran’s ability to fuel Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine”, said Kaja Kallas.
The High Representative also highlighted the work on “new sanctions in response to the brutal repression of demonstrators by the Iranian authorities and in support of the legitimate demands of the Iranian people. We are actively examining what additional measures can be taken”.
A joint draft resolution will be put to the vote on Thursday 22 January. According to the joint motion for a resolution by the EPP, S&D, ECR, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA groups, MEPs should “unequivocally” condemn the brutal repression and massacres perpetrated by the regime and demand an end to the use of violence against peaceful protesters, to whom it pays tribute. The European Parliament should call on the EU Council to “proceed without delay” with the full designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the Basij militia and the Quds Force, as a terrorist organisation and to call for sanctions against all Iranian officials responsible for the repression, as well as entities under the control of the Office of the Supreme Leader or acting on its behalf. The EU and its Member States must prepare for all possible scenarios, including a potential collapse of the Iranian regime, says the European Parliament, which calls for representatives of the Iranian democratic opposition to be invited to the European Parliament, “while reaffirming that it is up to the Iranian people to choose their future government”. See the draft: https://aeur.eu/f/kbo (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic and Camille-Cerise Gessant)