Brussels, 05/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a resolution common to the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens and GUE/NGL groups adopted on Thursday 4 September, the European Parliament condemns the rise in the number of executions by hanging in Iran and urges Teheran to establish a moratorium on the death penalty with a view to abolishing capital punishment, in line with the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2007. Denouncing the execution of minors in Iran, the EP calls on the head of the judiciary authority in Iran to systematically commute all death sentences on minors and reiterates its call on the Iranian parliament, the Majlis, to amend the legislation as a matter of urgency in order to raise the age of legal responsibility to come into line with international norms. Although it welcomes the legislative efforts made in Iran to set up a separate legislative and judiciary regime for minors, the EP condemns the prosecution and imprisonment of citizens who defend human rights in Iran and campaign against the death penalty. Also, welcoming the recent announcement that stoning is to be suspended as a means of execution, it calls on the Majlis to pledge to totally abolish stoning. Finally, the EP calls for the presentation, during the next UN General Assembly, of a resolution calling on all countries that still apply the death penalty to communicate to the UN secretary general and to the public all information concerning the death penalty and executions. (E.H./transl.jl)