Brussels, 13/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the joint resolution from the ALDE, PES, EPP-ED and UEN groups on Iran on Thursday by a wide majority, the European Parliament expressed concern at the Iranian nuclear crisis (currently at deadlock) and attacks on human rights in Iran following the recent election of hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite the EU's repeated efforts to establish more intense dialogue and cooperation with Teheran over political, economic and trade issues. In its resolution, the European Parliament urged Iran to change tack. During the debate in plenary on Wednesday, the President of the Council, Douglas Alexander, said Iran had important decisions to make on both the nuclear issue and reform. He said freedom of speech in Iran had been sorely tested in recent months and Teheran's negative attitude on the nuclear issue only helped reinforce its bad reputation abroad. He said it was now up to Iran to adopt a constructive approach and dissipate the suspicion surrounding it.
While pointing out in the resolution that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) does not include any measures to restrict the inalienable rights of the signatory states (including Iran) to research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful ends, the EP welcomed the adoption by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) governing council on 24 September of a resolution condemning Iran for violating the IAEA terms of membership. For a long period of time and on many occasions, Iran has withdrawn from the duty of transparency under the NPT for all its nuclear activity (not declaring installations, nuclear material, nuclear processing and use). Highlighting lack of confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme as a result, the EP urged Iran to restore and maintain full suspension of its uranium enrichment programme (including uranium conversion at the Ispahan plant, resumed on 8 August 2005), fully cooperate with IAEA inspectors and ensure transparency over and above that required under the NPT to people involved in Iran's nuclear programme, access to documents and double-use plants (civilian and military) where R&D is carried out. It also called on Iran to rapidly ratify the additional NPT protocol and reconsider its plans to build a deuterium oxide reactor. The EP invited Iran to return to the negotiating table with the EU3 (UK, France and Germany) before the upcoming meeting of the IAEA governing board in November. The European Parliament renewed its backing for the EU3 team's attempts to negotiate a diplomatic settlement. Adopting an amendment by German Green Angelika Beer, the EP urged the United States to actively back the EU3's negotiations by providing security guarantees to Iran. Reaffirming its opposition to any military option, the EP highlighted the importance of working with Russia, China, South Africa and non-aligned states to help establish regional security in the Middle East. Finally, renewing its support for the EU's cooperation plans with Iran on civilian use of nuclear energy, the European Parliament noted that Iran would have to fully cooperate with the IAEA and provide objective assurances of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme before a big bilateral trade and cooperation agreement could be signed.
On human rights, the EP urged Iran to renew its dialogue with the European Union. In this connection, it called on the Council and Commission to step up contacts with civil society and the media in Iran and raise concrete cases of human rights violations in bilateral dialogue. In the resolution, the EP criticises death sentences and the execution of minors, urging Iran to respect conventions on civil and political rights and children's rights (stipulating that death penalties cannot be given to criminals under the age of 18 when they committed the crime in question); the treatment of minorities, like the Kurds (9% of Iran's population) or Arabs in the province of Khusestan (discriminated against and persecuted because of their religious beliefs and ethnic origin); continued attacks on freedom of speech and the free press (censure of various online publications and websites, arbitrary arrests of journalists for expressing their views, etc); all forms of discrimination against women and the increasing number of women arrested and found guilty of not wearing a veil.