European parliament calls for Ganji's release, condemns Iran's many press freedom violations
Organisation:
A European parliament resolution called on the Iranian authorities to “ unconditionally release Akbar Ganji, who is in poor health after more than five years of imprisonment and a hunger strike of 60 days.” It also asked European Union diplomats based in Tehran to “ undertake concerted action with regard to the abovementioned concerns, in particular striving for the immediate release of the journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers prosecuted or sentenced for press- and opinion-related offences.”
A European parliament resolution (see extracts below) yesterday called on the Iranian authorities to “ unconditionally release Akbar Ganji, who is in poor health after more than five years of imprisonment and a hunger strike of 60 days.” It also asked European Union diplomats based in Tehran to “ undertake concerted action with regard to the abovementioned concerns, in particular striving for the immediate release of the journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers prosecuted or sentenced for press- and opinion-related offences.”
The resolution also condemned the arrests and imprisonment of cyber-journalists and bloggers, as well as the recent arbitrary arrests of journalists and the drastic constraints placed on the news media in Iran.
The foreign ministers of the countries that are the current, previous and next holders of the EU presidency (UK, Luxembourg and Austria respectively) received a letter from Reporters Without Borders on 5 October calling for EU diplomats to intercede with the authorities in Tehran in an effort to meet with Ganji or obtain detailed information about his state of health.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paris, 5 October 2005
Dear Minister, Reporters Without Borders, an organisation that defends press freedom worldwide, would like to draw your attention to the plight of Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji, who was returned to Evin prison from hospital on 3 September 2005 after a hunger strike that lasted more than 60 days. There has been no word from him for the past 42 days. Mr. Soleimani, the official in charge of Evin prison, said on 1 October that Mr. Ganji was in solitary confinement and his state of health was good. But we know the Iranian authorities have released false information about the condition of political prisoners in the past. Tehran prosecutor Said Mortazavi has moreover banned the press from mentioning Mr. Ganji. Mr. Ganji is believed to be in a separate cell in a special section of Evin prison. His solitary confinement flouts international human rights treaties and Iranian law, which is explicit about the rights of detainees to visits by their families and lawyers. The prison authorities seem to have no other goal than to break Mr. Ganji mentally and physically. It is deplorable that the Iranian authorities have not respected the undertakings to release him soon which they gave to him and his family after his hunger strike. At that time, Reporters Without Borders supported negotiations with certain members of the Iranian judiciary with the specific aim of Mr. Ganji's release. The European Union has in the past demanded Mr. Ganji's release. We would now like to ask you to arrange for your embassy in Iran to intercede with the Tehran authorities with a view to obtaining a meeting with Mr. Ganji or detailed information about his state of health. We would be very grateful if you would keep us informed of the results of your ministry's initiatives. Sincerely, Robert Ménard Secretary-General -------------------------------------------------------------------------- P6_TA-PROV(2005)0382 Iran
European Parliament resolution on Iran
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, notably those of 28 October 2004 and 13 January 2005 , - having regard to the EU-Iran human rights dialogue that took place until recently and at which the Government of Iran expressed its commitment to strengthening respect for human rights and the rule of law, - having regard to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a party, (...)
N. particularly concerned about the increasing reports regarding arbitrary arrests of and threats against journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers, notably Ahmand Seraajee, who was arrested on 30 June 2005, while also recalling the continued imprisonment of other journalists for the mere exercise of their right to freedom of expression, notably Akbar Ganji, who was imprisoned over five years ago together with 17 other Iranian journalists and who has been in extremely poor health due to a 60-day hunger strike but whose wife has been denied access to him,
O. also concerned about the solitary confinement of the lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, detained since 30 July 2005, who was a guest speaker in the EP in his capacity as a founder member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, (...)
20. Condemns the arrests and imprisonment of cyberjournalists and webloggers and the parallel censorship of several online publications, weblogs and internet sites as well as the recent arbitrary arrests of journalists and severe restriction of the media in Iran, and therefore calls on the Iranian authorities, especially the Iranian Parliament, to fulfil their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and notably to allow the free expression of opinion on internet sites and in weblogs and the press;
21. Calls on the Presidency of the Council and the Member States' diplomatic representatives in Iran urgently to undertake concerted action with regard to the abovementioned concerns, in particular striving for the immediate release of the journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers prosecuted or sentenced for press- and opinion-related offences;
22. Calls on the Iranian authorities notably to unconditionally release Akbar Ganji, who is in poor health after more than five years of imprisonment and a hunger strike of 60 days, having served five and a half years of his six-year sentence for a press- and opinion-related offence, and also to release the lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, detained since 30 July 2005;
23. Calls on the representatives of the Member States in Teheran to make urgent requests to the Iranian authorities in order to obtain detailed information on Mr Ganji's situation and an authorisation to visit him; (...)
26. Calls on the Commission to make effective use of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights in order to intensify contacts and cooperation with Iranian civil society and independent media and furthermore to support, together with the European Parliament, democracy and respect for human rights in Iran;
(...)
Over 15 years ago, Reporters without Borders created its "Sponsorship Programme" and called upon the international media to select and support an imprisoned journalist. More than two hundreds news staffs around the globe are thus sponsoring colleagues by regularly petitioning authorities for their release and by publicising their situations so that their cases will not be forgotten. Currently, Akbar Ganji is sponsored by Le Devoir, Nice-Matin, La Montagne.
Dear Minister, Reporters Without Borders, an organisation that defends press freedom worldwide, would like to draw your attention to the plight of Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji, who was returned to Evin prison from hospital on 3 September 2005 after a hunger strike that lasted more than 60 days. There has been no word from him for the past 42 days. Mr. Soleimani, the official in charge of Evin prison, said on 1 October that Mr. Ganji was in solitary confinement and his state of health was good. But we know the Iranian authorities have released false information about the condition of political prisoners in the past. Tehran prosecutor Said Mortazavi has moreover banned the press from mentioning Mr. Ganji. Mr. Ganji is believed to be in a separate cell in a special section of Evin prison. His solitary confinement flouts international human rights treaties and Iranian law, which is explicit about the rights of detainees to visits by their families and lawyers. The prison authorities seem to have no other goal than to break Mr. Ganji mentally and physically. It is deplorable that the Iranian authorities have not respected the undertakings to release him soon which they gave to him and his family after his hunger strike. At that time, Reporters Without Borders supported negotiations with certain members of the Iranian judiciary with the specific aim of Mr. Ganji's release. The European Union has in the past demanded Mr. Ganji's release. We would now like to ask you to arrange for your embassy in Iran to intercede with the Tehran authorities with a view to obtaining a meeting with Mr. Ganji or detailed information about his state of health. We would be very grateful if you would keep us informed of the results of your ministry's initiatives. Sincerely, Robert Ménard Secretary-General -------------------------------------------------------------------------- P6_TA-PROV(2005)0382 Iran
European Parliament resolution on Iran
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, notably those of 28 October 2004 and 13 January 2005 , - having regard to the EU-Iran human rights dialogue that took place until recently and at which the Government of Iran expressed its commitment to strengthening respect for human rights and the rule of law, - having regard to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a party, (...)
N. particularly concerned about the increasing reports regarding arbitrary arrests of and threats against journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers, notably Ahmand Seraajee, who was arrested on 30 June 2005, while also recalling the continued imprisonment of other journalists for the mere exercise of their right to freedom of expression, notably Akbar Ganji, who was imprisoned over five years ago together with 17 other Iranian journalists and who has been in extremely poor health due to a 60-day hunger strike but whose wife has been denied access to him,
O. also concerned about the solitary confinement of the lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, detained since 30 July 2005, who was a guest speaker in the EP in his capacity as a founder member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, (...)
20. Condemns the arrests and imprisonment of cyberjournalists and webloggers and the parallel censorship of several online publications, weblogs and internet sites as well as the recent arbitrary arrests of journalists and severe restriction of the media in Iran, and therefore calls on the Iranian authorities, especially the Iranian Parliament, to fulfil their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and notably to allow the free expression of opinion on internet sites and in weblogs and the press;
21. Calls on the Presidency of the Council and the Member States' diplomatic representatives in Iran urgently to undertake concerted action with regard to the abovementioned concerns, in particular striving for the immediate release of the journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers prosecuted or sentenced for press- and opinion-related offences;
22. Calls on the Iranian authorities notably to unconditionally release Akbar Ganji, who is in poor health after more than five years of imprisonment and a hunger strike of 60 days, having served five and a half years of his six-year sentence for a press- and opinion-related offence, and also to release the lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, detained since 30 July 2005;
23. Calls on the representatives of the Member States in Teheran to make urgent requests to the Iranian authorities in order to obtain detailed information on Mr Ganji's situation and an authorisation to visit him; (...)
26. Calls on the Commission to make effective use of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights in order to intensify contacts and cooperation with Iranian civil society and independent media and furthermore to support, together with the European Parliament, democracy and respect for human rights in Iran;
(...)
Over 15 years ago, Reporters without Borders created its "Sponsorship Programme" and called upon the international media to select and support an imprisoned journalist. More than two hundreds news staffs around the globe are thus sponsoring colleagues by regularly petitioning authorities for their release and by publicising their situations so that their cases will not be forgotten. Currently, Akbar Ganji is sponsored by Le Devoir, Nice-Matin, La Montagne.
Published on
Updated on
20.01.2016
Middle East - North Africa
