Former MEP, Struan Stevenson condemns the recent trip by EU’s high representative to Iran

Many political figures have been criticizing the European Union for its appeasement of Iran despite the grave violations of human rights and its acts of terrorism that have been continuing for many years.

One such figure is Struan Stevenson, a former member of the European Parliament and coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He has been a long-time ally to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main opposition to the Iranian regime, and has been campaigning and drawing awareness to the people of Iran’s desire for regime change in order to achieve freedom, human rights, and democracy.

He recently drew attention to the EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell that traveled to Iran. He said that the EU’s top diplomat should not have traveled to Iran to voice the European Union’s ongoing support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – rather he should have spoken out about the ongoing protests in the country that have left 5,000 people injured, at least 1,500 dead and many thousands in prison.

Mr. Stevenson is not alone in this opinion. In fact, approximately one hundred members of the European Parliament have called on the head of foreign affairs to put pressure on the Iranian regime with regards to its suppression of protesters in Iran. They also called on him to take steps to ensure that the regime immediately releases all those protesters that were detained by the repressive security forces.

Borrell’s visit appears to have been an act of appeasement. He did not mention, in his press release regarding the trip to Iran, that he brought up any of the most recent troubles that have happened in Iran. For example, he made no mention of the Ukrainian airliner that the country’s notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down, resulting in the deaths of the 176 passengers and crew on board.

Borrell also failed to mention anything about the deadly force that the security forces were ordered to use against protesters. In fact, human rights and the regime’s blatant disregard of the people of Iran, in general, were not mentioned at all. Rather, he emphasized that the European Union is extremely committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). No mention was made of the regime’s breaches of said deal.

Borrell is following in the footsteps of his predecessor Federica Mogherini who particularly ignored the regime’s fascism, brutality, and terrorist activities in favor of trade deals and commerce.

The human rights situation in Iran is appalling and it is shameful that a top European official should be putting trade matters first. The people of Iran, by taking to the streets during peaceful protests, are opening themselves up to arrest, imprisonment, torture and abuse, and even the death penalty. This is completely contrary to the fundamental values of the EU and it is something that should not be ignored.

Trade with any country that denies its people human rights should be conditioned on a complete halt to practices that are not consistent with international laws and regulations. The EU’s appeasement of Iran is shameful.