40 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from all political groups, from 21 European countries, wrote a letter to PACE’s President, the Hon. Rik Daems, expressing their “grave concerns on the situation of human rights in Iran,” adding, “For four decades, the Iranian regime has been brutally oppressing its people and while they have been indiscriminate in stripping citizens of their every individual and social rights, women, youth and minorities have faced the most oppression.”
The parliamentarians also noted, “The domestic policy of repression and exporting terrorism and fundamentalism abroad have been the foundation of Iran’s survival strategy for decades, with the latter having been supported by Iran’s embassies in Europe.”
Referring to the foiled bombing plot against the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance’s (NCRI) major gathering in Villepinte, near Paris, in June 2018, the lawmakers highlighted the conclusion of the Belgian National Security Service (VSSE), which stated, “The plans for the attack were developed in the name of Iran at the request of its leadership.”
The signatories also denounced Tehran regime’s policy of “blackmail[ing] Western countries by using dual nationals as pawns in exchange for its terrorists in foreign jails.”
These nefarious actions, they emphasized, calls “for a review of policy toward Iran in all areas [and] serious and effective measures,” that included predicating “any economic and trade relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the improvement of the human rights situation in Iran and an end to the regime’s terrorism on European soil.”
In recalling the “statement by the Council of the European Union dated April 29, 1997,” they stressed that “agents and mercenaries of Iran’s intelligence services with diplomatic, journalistic, and economic cover should be tried, punished, and expelled, and centers with a religious or cultural cover promoting terrorism and fundamentalism should be closed,” adding, “Granting asylum and citizenship to MOIS agents and mercenaries should be a red line.”
Copies of the letter were forwarded to the Honorables Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of EU Commission.
The Letter
HonorableRik DaemsPresident of the Parliamentary AssemblyCouncil of Europe
We, the undersigned write to express our grave concerns on the situation of human rights in Iran. For four decades, the Iranian regime has been brutally oppressing its peopleand while they have been indiscriminate in stripping citizens of their every individual and social rights, women, youthand minorities have faced the most oppression.In December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly condemned Iran for its gross violations of human rights for the 67thtime. The European Union itself and human rights organisationslike Amnesty International have continuously condemned Iran’s human rights abuses over the years.We are also deeply concerned over the continued use of torture and ongoing execution of young protesters who took to the streets in the November 2019 protests calling for freedom in Iran.The domestic policy of repression and exporting terrorism and fundamentalism abroad have been the foundation of Iran’s survival strategy for decades, with the latter having been supported by Iran’s embassies in Europe.On July 1, 2018, German police arrested Assadollah Assadi, a diplomat working at the Iranian embassy in Vienna, in ajointoperation betweenpolice, the judiciary and security servicesfrom Germany, France, and Belgium. Investigations revealed that as a senior Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agent, Assadi had plotted an attack on the annual gathering of Iran’s organisedopposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Villepinte, Paris, attended by 100,000 people according to press reports. He wanted to implement this plan together with three other Ministry of Intelligence agentswho had received asylum and later grantedcitizenship in Belgium (Amir Saadouni, his wife,Nasimeh Naami and Mehrdad Arefani). While Mrs.Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect was the target of the attack, the event was attended by international political figures, parliamentary delegations and personalities from Europe and around the world.If successful, it would have been the largest terrorist attack on European soil and essentially a massacre.The Belgian National Security Service (VSSE) reported in February 2020 that, “The plans for the attack were developed in the name of Iran at the request of its leadership. Assadi didn’t initiate the plans himself.” The VSSE emphasizedthat Assadollah Assadi is an MOIS officer working under the diplomatic cover of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Vienna (Austria). In another report, theVSSE stated that Assadi carried the explosive device on a commercial flight from Iran to Austria. Hehanded over the explosives to Amir Saadouni and Nasimeh Naami two days before the attack was to be carried out.This undeniable evidence calls for a review of policy toward Iran in all areas. Europe must holdJavad Zarif accountable for his diplomat’sterrorist act.
The Iranian regime seeks to blackmail Western countries by using dual nationals as pawns in exchange for its terrorists in foreign jails.While condemning any policy of appeasement and concessionsto the Iranian regime, we call for serious and effective measures, including:-To conditionany economic and trade relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran contingent onthe improvement of the human rights situation in Iran and an end to the regime’s terrorism on European soil.-In accordancewith a statement bythe Councilof the European Union dated April 29, 1997, agents and mercenaries of Iran’s intelligence services with diplomatic, journalistic,and economic cover should be tried, punished,and expelled, and centers with a religious or cultural cover promotingterrorism and fundamentalismshould be closed. Granting asylum and citizenship to MOIS agents and mercenaries should be a red line.We thank you in advance for considering our letter and look forward to hearing from you on this critical matter.
Yours sincerely,
Sophie AUCONIE, Member of Parliament –FranceMember of the national delegation at PACE
Petra BAYR, Member of Parliament –AustriaMember of the national delegation at PACE
Margreet de Boer, Member of Senate –NetherlandsMember of Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights at PACEMember of Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons at PACE
Karin BROUWERS, Member of Senate –BelgiumMember of the national delegation at PACE
Maurizio BUCCARELLA, Member of Senate –ItalyMemberof Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rightsat PACE
Klotilda BUSHKA, Member of Parliament –AlbaniaMember of the national delegation at PACE Member of Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Laura CASTEL FORT, Member of Senate -SpainMember of the Equality and non-Discrimination Committeeat PACE
Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Member of Parliament –CyprusMember of the national delegation at PACE
Iván ESPINOSA DE LOS MONTEROS, Member of Parliament –Spain Member of the national delegation at PACE
Bernard FOURNIER, Member of Senate –France Member of Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)at PACE
Sir Roger GALE, Member of House of Commons –United KingdomVice-President of the PACE Chairperson of national delegation at PACE
Róisín GARVEY, Member of Senate –Ireland Member of the national delegation at PACE Full Member of Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination (since 15/09/2020)
Eglantina GJERMENI, Member of Parliament –Albania Chairperson of Sub-Committee on Gender Equality
Jean-Pierre GRIN, Member of the National Council –SwitzerlandMember of the national delegation at PACE
Yves HEMEDINGER, Member of Parliament –France Member of the national delegation at PACE
Emer HIGGINS, Member of Parliament –Ireland Member of Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Christoph HOFFMANN, Member of Parliament –Germany Member of the national delegation at PACE
Maria JUFEREVA-SKURATOVSKI, Member of Parliament –Estonia Chair personof the national delegation at PACE
Christian KLINGER, Member of Senate –France Member of the national delegation at PACE
Saša MAGAZINOVIĆ, Member of Parliament-Bosnia and Herzegovina Vice-Chairperson of Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group
Javier MAROTO, Member of Senate –SpainMember of the national delegation at PACE
Giuseppe Maria MORGANTI, Member of Parliament –San Marino Member of the national delegation at PACE
Barbara NOWACKA, Member of Parliament –Poland Member ofCommittee on Equality and Non-Discrimination at PACE Member of Sub-Committee on the Rights of Minorities at PACE
Fiona O’LOUGHLIN, Member of Senate –Ireland Chairperson of national delegationat PACE
Joseph O’REILLY, Member of Senate –IrelandVice-Chairperson of Group of the European People’s Party
Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN, Member of Senate –Netherlands VICE-Chairpersonof national delegation at PACE
Ian PAISLEY, Member of House of Commons –United Kingdom Member of the national delegation at PACE
Thomas PRINGLE, Member of Parliament –Ireland Member of the national delegation at PACE
Luís Leite Ramos, Member of Parliament -Portuga Vice-Chair of Social Democratic Group at Portuguese Parliamentand EPP Group at PACE Chair of Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development of PACE
Roberto RAMPI, Member of Senate–Italy Secretary of the national delegation at PACE
Frédéric REISS, Member of Parliament –France Member of the national delegation at PACE
Ingjerd Schou, Member of Parliament –Norway Chairperson of national delegation at PACE Vice-Chairperson of Group of the European People’s Party since Chair person of Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, Fifth Vice President of the Storting
Tadeja ŠUŠTAR, Member of Parliament -Slovenia Member of the national delegation at PACE
Bob van PAREREN, Member of Senate –Netherlands Substitute member at PACE
Egidijus VAREIKIS, Member of Parliament –Lithuania Vice-President of the PACE, Vice-Chairpersonof Group of the European People’s Party from
Martin VICKERS, Member of House of Commons –United Kingdom Member of the national delegation at PACE
Anna ZÁBORSKÁ, Member of Parliament –Slovakia Chairperson of national delegationat PACE
Miroslav ŽIAK, Member of Parliament –Slovakia Member of the national delegation at PACE
Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Member of Parliament –LithuaniaChairperson of national delegationat PACE Second Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
