"Unease" in Europe about Iran human rights record
A statement by the presidency of the council of the European Union urged Iran to respect its commitments and expressed "particular concern" about the fate of Ramin Jahanbegloo, the imprisoned Iranian scholar.
Brussels (AsiaNews) Europe has urged Iran to respect its commitments to protect human rights and expressed "particular concern" about the fate of dissident scholar, Ramin Jahanbegloo, a Sorbonne and Harvard graduate who was arrested on 3 May and charged with "relations with foreigners".
A statement by the presidency of the Council of the European Union, released yesterday, "expressed the unease that the situation of human rights in Iran continues to inspire" in the EU and "urges this country to comply fully with the obligations it should respect under international agreements on the matter."
The European Union said it was "especially concerned about the continued detention of Ramin Jahanbegloo, a respected Iranian scholar, whose commitment to philosophical and moral principles of non violence and dialogue is well known".
The Union also expressed "concern about the irregularities that apparently marked the arrest and detention of Jahanbegloo". It urged the Iranian authorities "to ensure he will immediately be able to enjoy legal assistance. The EU underlines the lack of credibility of confessions made in prison without appropriate juridical guarantees".
The statement ends with a call "once again" on Iran "to stop penalizing Iranian citizens for contacts they have with foreign embassies, universities and cultural institutes".
It appears that Ramin Jahanbegloo, a scholar of international renown, is in danger of being tried for espionage and crimes against security. These are vague charges which carry very severe penalties. In reality, many claim that his arrest was most probably intended by the Iranian authorities to instill fear in dissidents, to please extremists and to send a signal to the West, especially Canada. Jahanbegloo is an Iranian-Canadian. Now he is in the notorious Evin prison. This is where the well known Canadian photographer of Iranian origin, Zahra Kazemi, was killed. Canadian diplomats persist in following up this case in a very active and courageous manner.
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17/05/2006
