Euro News – A small group of MEPs briefly blocked the arrival of the Iranian Foreign Minister to the European Parliament in Brussels. Cries of ‘murderer’ reflected their outrage that Manouchehr Mottaki had been invited.
Mottaki was on an official visit to hold talks on wide ranging topics including human rights, the death penalty and non-nuclear proliferation.
Euro News – A small group of MEPs briefly blocked the arrival of the Iranian Foreign Minister to the European Parliament in Brussels. Cries of ‘murderer’ reflected their outrage that Manouchehr Mottaki had been invited.
Mottaki was on an official visit to hold talks on wide ranging topics including human rights, the death penalty and non-nuclear proliferation.
There was anger that the parliament’s president refused a request to hang a large photo of a young music student. Neda Agha Soltan was killed by a government militiaman during protests at Iran’s disputed elections a year ago. MEPs held up smaller pictures instead.
“They abuse women. They execute women and children and men. They execute political prisoners. They execute peaceful protesters,” said British MEP Struan Stevenson. “I want to ask him how many people they have executed this week. This is a man who brings disgrace to this Parliament by coming here.”
There were more protests outside the parliament. The foreign minister’s visit was part of an Iranian initiative to re-establish dialogue with the EU. But MEPs want more pressure put on Iran to comply with human rights.