The Greek ambassador to Iran was summoned by the Iranian foreign ministry following the European Parliament’s recent resolution on the state of human rights in Iran.
Greece currently holds the revolving presidency of the European Union; the Iranian foreign ministry passed on its “express dissatisfaction” with this resolution to its Greek counterpart.
A ministry statement says the Greek ambassador has been informed that Iran views such a resolution as a move “against the joint interests of the European Union and the Islamic Republic,” and the Greek Ambassador has in turn promised to communicate Iran’s message to relevant EU authorities in Brussels.
The European resolution, which was passed on April 3, 2014, expressed concern over Iran’s human rights situation and called for “the release of all imprisoned human rights defenders, political prisoners, trade unionists, labor activists, and those detained after the 2009 Presidential elections.”
The resolution also states that “any future European Parliament delegations to Iran should be committed to meeting political opposition, civil society activists and having access to political prisoners.”
Iranian Parliament has condemned the resolution, and the Fars News Agency quoted one MP saying: “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not be influenced by biased reports of so-called human rights organizations in the West in its internal governance and in maintaining its independence.”
