Dear Mr President,
Dear Members of the European Parliament,
Last week, we had sent a letter of protest and asked the Presidency of European Parliament to not approve a delegation to be sent to Iran this week.
Unfortunately this did not happen and the planned trip of 9 MEPs is scheduled for this Friday 27 October. Iranian media have been boasting about this as a great victory for the regime.
This morning, on the eve of the trip, Iran has hanged another 10 people! http://www.france24.com/en/20121022-iran-hangs-10-drug-traffickers-despite-amnesty-appeal
This sends a very clear signal and shows they would abuse the delegation’s visit as propaganda to justify public hangings as they did in the last visit in 2007.
I have re-enclosed our letter signed by Iranian families in Europe to President Schulz for your information.
Another letter by Iranian academics and professionals from all around the world has been sent to EP this morning: (http://www.facebook.com/notes/mansur-rastani/an-open-letter-to-european-parliament-2012-urgent-need-your-signature-asap-pleas/479098798779440)
This is really a double standard policy that when EP has nominated two Iranian political prisoners for the Sakharov prize this Friday, another friendship delegation is visiting their henchmen on the same day!
Please do your best to convince your colleagues not to be fooled to join in this trip. Those Members who go cannot claim they did not know what could happen. They will have to answer for any crimes that the regime will commit during their visit.
Below is link to some protests against the trip:
Milad Niknia, Germany
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Justice for Iran Demands EU Delegation to Cancel the Visit to Iran
http://justiceforiran.org/call-for-action/eu_delegation/?lang=en
US Democrat Senators Demand Cancellation of EU Parliament trip to Iran
http://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/release/?id=b6c3cfef-b90c-4861-b05a-ce6833f7f9ff
‘Disgraceful’ visit to Iran should be scrapped – MEP Stevenson
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/mep-says-disgraceful-visit-to-iran-should-be-scrapped
EP Vice President Alvaro against the trip:
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/aerger-um-parlamentarier-treffen-iran-reiseplaene-spalten-die-politik/7280644.html
EP Vice President Vidal-Quadras calls Iran trip “extremely counter-productive”
http://www.ejpress.org/article/news_from_outside_of_europe_/62461
The EP delegation to Iran should not visit Teheran – MEP Zaleswki
http://www.pawelzalewski.eu/en/eu-world/899,pawel-zalewski-european-parliament-should-cancel-its-visit-in-iran.html
MEP Kathleen Van Brempt cancels trip to Iran
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/957/Binnenland/article/detail/1520464/2012/10/19/Kathleen-Van-Brempt-annuleert-trip-naar-Iran.dhtml
Die Welt: Sharp criticism of the planned EU-Tehran trip
http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article110036708/Scharfe-Kritik-an-geplanter-EU-Reise-nach-Teheran.html
European Jewish Congress President urges EU lawmakers to cancel Tehran trip
http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/12529/kantor_urges_eu_lawmakers_to_cancel_tehran_trip
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Milad Niknia < milad.niknia@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 8:29 AM
Subject: Mr. Schulz – Urgent Appeal to President of European Parliament
To: martin.schulz@europarl.europa.eu
Hon. Martin Schultz
President of the European Parliament
Dear President Schulz,
We Iranian families living in Europe, who have our loved ones under the brutal reign of the dictatorship in Iran are truly appalled to hear that a delegation from the European Parliament is planning to visit Iran in two weeks time.
Over the past decades there had been similar visits by various delegations, but none of those have made any improvement to the situation of people of Iran. The numbers of executions are rising every day and the methods used by the regime to torture freedom loving activists continue to shock the world.
In fact we feel that this kind of exchange visits gives the murderous mullahs an absolutely undeserved credit which they only abuse to further their repression.
The support that the European Parliament has been giving to Iranian opposition in recent years has won the hearts and minds of many freedom loving Iranians. That’s why this recent announcement of a planned trip has disappointed all of us. Those officials your delegation will meet in Iran are all responsible for horrendous human rights violations and will be facing international tribunals as soon as they are ousted from power.
It is indeed a great paradox that European Parliament has nominated two Iranian prisoners of conscience for this year’s Sakharov prize, while at the same a delegation is going to be received by those responsible for their imprisonment.
You should not forget the experience of the Nazi Germany and millions who paid with their lives to restore democracy and freedom in this continent for the negligence of the leaders of free countries at that time.
We have been the first victims of today most brutal religious fascist regime, but unfortunately we are no longer alone. The regime has actively pursued its dominance in the region by exporting terrorism and by sending troops and arms to Assad in Syria. A nuclear arm in their hands would not leave us safe even in Europe.
That’s why we were encouraged to hear that EU has imposed new sanctions on the regime and that Canada and other countries have recently cut diplomatic relations with Iran.
Any friendship visit to Iran, under whatever pretext, is an insult to the blood of our loved ones who have fallen for freedom and will leave a dark stain in Europe’s human rights legacy that Iranian people will not forget.
We urge you to use your good office to cancel or postpone this visit immediately until the situation has improved.
Sincerely
Jafari Family (Belgium)
Gorgani Family (France)
Hosseini Family (UK)
Saidpoor Family (Netherlands)
Shahriyari Family (Sweden)
Rezai Family (France)
Ebrahim Poor Family (France)
Bagherzadeh Family (Sweden)
Alivandi Family (Austria)
Vahedi Family (Finland)
Seyd Ahmadi Family (Netherlands)
Najib Family (Belgium)
Rajizadeh Family (Netherlands)
Alizadeh Family (Netherlands)
Dashti Family (Sweden)
Kashefi Family (Belgium)
Nazari Family (Belgium)
Javedan Family (Norway)
Pour Heidarian Family (Denmark)
Nobari Family (Belgium)
Masih Family (Germany)
Davari Family (Belgium)
Komary Family (France)
Atai Family (Sweden)
Khansari Family (Sweden)
Madoomi Family (Netherlands)
Alemi Familiy (France)
Babai Family (Belgium)
Jamali Family (Belgium)
Kakuan Family (France)
Marandi Family (Sweden)
Arefani Family (Belgium)
Hemati Faimlly (Belgium)
Rahimi Family (France)
Rahmani Family (France)
Shoushtari Family (Belgium)
Parandak-Bigham Family (Belgium)
Aliyari Family (Belgium)
Esmailzadeh Family (Sweden)
Asyabani Family (Sweden)
Tehrani Family (Belgium)
Gran Family (Belgium)
Niknia Family (Germany)
