Strasbourg, 26/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a joint EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL resolution, adopted on Thursday 25 October, the European Parliament condemned the worsening human rights situation in Iran, and called on Tehran to honour its international obligations by promoting universal values and allowing all citizens to exercise their civil rights and political liberties. It called on the Iranian government to cease repression of civil society (women's rights activists, student movements, minorities' rights groups, intellectuals, teachers, journalists, authors of blogs and trade unionists) and pointed out its obligations on fundamental rights, particularly freedom of opinion, as a signatory of international pacts on civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. The EP also condemned executions carried out without fair trial and the use of torture, and called for a moratorium on stoning and the death penalty. The EP also urged Tehran to respect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities and to eradicate all forms of discrimination on religious or ethnic grounds or against members of the Kurdish, Azeri, Arab, Baluchi and Baha'i minorities. Finally the EP proposed the resumption of the EU-Iran dialogue on human rights which has been suspended since June 2004. (E.H.)