EU must sanction officials responsible for Mahsa Amini’s death

USPA NEWS - The European Parliament condemns the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran and asks for EU sanctions against her killers and those involved in quashing the ensuing street protests. MEPs call for an impartial investigation into the killing and considers that Iranian authorities must release protesters and drop all charges against them.

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the European Parliament takes stock of developments in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini at the hands of the country’s morality police and the outbreak of subsequent street demonstrations against the hard-line clerical regime. MEPs strongly condemn Amini’s death and call for an impartial, effective and above all independent investigation into her ill-treatment and tragic killing. Arrested by the police on 13 September for allegedly ignoring Iran’s strict veiling laws, she died in a Tehran hospital three days later following physical abuse while in custody.

While expressing its strong support for the peaceful protest movement in Iran, and in particular the young women leading and participating in the demonstrations, the European Parliament strongly condemns the widespread and disproportionate use of force by Iranian security forces against the crowds, which has so far resulted in many casualties. MEPs also call on the country’s authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop any charges against anyone who has been imprisoned solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, as well as all other human rights defenders. The resolution urges the EU to sanction Iranian officials involved in both Mahsa Amini’s death and the violence against protestors, under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.

Calls for a UN investigation into events in Iran

Parliament further calls on the United Nations, and in particular its Human Rights Council, to initiate an investigation into recent events in Iran. MEPs also urge EU member states with a diplomatic presence in the country to coordinate their actions in order to protect human rights defenders, in particular women’s rights defenders, and EU-Iranian dual nationals.