Friday, June 5th 2015

STOP THE BOMB calls on European Parliament Members to cancel Iran trip

Visit contradicts Iran resolution adopted by MEPs in March

The coalition STOP THE BOMB demands the cancellation of the European Parliament Foreign Committee’s delegation to Iran scheduled for 6-7 June. The regime's continued Holocaust denial, the renewed annihilation threats against Israel, the disastrous and worsening human rights situation and the sad record high of executions under "moderate" Iranian President Rouhani do not seem to bother Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany), Andrej Plenkovic (EPP, Croatia), Richard Howitt (S&D, UK), Josef Weidenholzer (S&D, Austria), Marietje Schaake (ALDE, Netherlands), Urmas Paet (ALDE, Estonia) and Klaus Buchner (Greens/EFA, Germany) who are set to pay tribute to the anti-Semitic regime.

What is especially worrying is that this delegation makes a mockery of the EP’s own resolution of March which stressed that more constructive relations with Iran are contingent on progress in the full (!) implementation of Iran’s commitments under the Joint Plan of Action and human rights (!!) issues. Said Stefan Schaden, a spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB: "A visit at this time is therefore totally inappropriate and undermines the pressure on the Iranian regime with the deadline looming for the nuclear talks. While Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif keep smiling for their European audience, an execution wave has resumed inside Iran, punishments like eye-gouging and amputations are carried out, the persecution of homosexuals has continued and new laws aim to reduce women to baby-making machines. We therefore demand the cancellation of this trip."