Iran Dismisses EU Parliament’s ‘Biased’ Human Rights Resolution

“The biased, one-sided, unrealistic, and disappointing resolution against Iran is put to vote at a time when the United States of America is violating the rights of over 80 million people by imposing economic terrorism against Iran; however, this is ignored by members of the European Parliament,” Mousavi said in a Monday statement.

Mousavi said the adoption of the resolution shows the new members of the European Parliament are unfamiliar with ongoing developments in Iran.

The spokesman noted that the anti-Iran accusations are mainly “based on incorrect and inauthentic information and certain purposeful media campaigns.”

“Although there is no need for a comparison with regional countries, the status of women’s rights, and human rights in general, in the Islamic Republic of Iran is far beyond the regional borders in many areas,” he added.

“In numerous cases, the position of Iranian women is in some ways even better than that of women in the countries that claim to be advocates of human rights,” he added.

Iran would not deny certain shortcomings in the human rights field, Mousavi said, stressing that efforts are underway to overcome the challenges on the basis of Islamic and national tenets and values.

“For the Islamic Republic of Iran, observing human rights is a religious and legal obligation and a subject in line with the national interests and security,” he added.

He said the country has always strived to fulfil those obligations, and there is no need for spiteful and opportunistic emphases from others in this regard.

He finally denounced the use of double standards when it comes to human rights and rejected the instrumental use of it against other countries, and said, “Adoption of such resolutions and measures runs counter to interaction with the European Union, and will definitely not be constructive.”

The European Parliament on Thursday, September 19, adopted a resolution condemning the Islamic Republic’s human rights record, calling on Tehran to end what it called “suppression of women”.

The new resolution was endorsed by 608 votes in favour, seven against and 46 abstentions.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) demanded all EU countries with a diplomatic presence in Iran to use all the diplomacy tools in their power to support and protect human rights defenders on the ground.

MEPs also called on the Iranian authorities to immediately release all human rights defenders and journalists detained and sentenced merely for what it called “exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”