Brussels, 15/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - The International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) and the League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran state in a press release that the dialogue session on human rights between the European Union and Iran held on 8 and 9 October in Brussels confirms the doubts raised by the first two sessions. The FIDH therefore calls on the EU to "carry out a public assessment of the first three dialogue sessions" and to present a draft resolution on human rights in Iran during the next meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
The FIDH, which is one of the NGOs which took part in the round table in Brussels (together with Amnesty International, Penal Reform International and, for the first time, Human Rights Watch) deplores the absence of the representative of the independent Iranian civil society at the dialogue session. Regarding the themes covered in Brussels, it recognises that the debate on the right to development has not raised any major difficulties and has allowed an interesting discussion to take place, but it is not satisfied with that on freedom of expression. In particular, the FIDH notes that the discussion on parliamentary immunity has highlighted the "restrictive nature of existing guarantees" in Iran and that some European participants have denounced the "pressure that could be exerted by certain candidates on the occasion of the next legislative elections". As for the freedom of the press, it points out that, during the meeting in Brussels, given the international NGOs that recalled the "repressive context prevailing in Iran, mainly against journalists and intellectuals", the Iranian part invoked the restrictions imposed by respect of public order and certain principles of Islam. FIDH finally deplores the fact that the Iranian part has not given any indication regarding the follow up to be given to the recommendations of the UN working group on arbitrary detention. (See EUROPE of 14 October, p.6, on the subject of the conclusions of Monday's Council in Luxembourg on Iran).