{"id":21090,"date":"2021-02-13T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=21090"},"modified":"2021-02-13T09:32:01","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T08:32:01","slug":"meps-statement-on-human-rights-in-iranurgent-case-of-political-prisoner-saeid-sangar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2021\/02\/meps-statement-on-human-rights-in-iranurgent-case-of-political-prisoner-saeid-sangar\/21090\/","title":{"rendered":"MEPs: Statement on Human Rights in Iran
Urgent Case of Political Prisoner Saeid Sangar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Twenty-four members of the European Parliament cosigned a statement on the initiative of the European Parliament\u2019s Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI) about the alarming human rights situation in Iran, following a recent surge of executions and mass arrests across the country since December 2020. The following is the Press release and the full statement signed by the European Parliamentarians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Press Release<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

24 members of the European Parliament co-signed an urgent Statement on Human Rights in Iran calling for the immediate release of Political Prisoner Saeid Sangar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brussels, Belgium, February 12, 2021 \u2013 Twenty-four members of the European Parliament cosigned a statement on the initiative of the European Parliament\u2019s Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI) about the alarming human rights situation in Iran, following a recent surge of executions and mass arrests across the country since December 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement on human rights in Iran focused on the particular urgent case to save life of political prisoner Saeid Sangar<\/a>. The statement reads, \u201cOne such urgent case is the case of political prisoner Saeid Sangar from city of Piranshahr. The Iranian Judiciary recently sentenced him to another 11 months in prison in Urmia after he finished serving his 20-year prison sentence for supporting the Iranian pro-democracy opposition, the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI\/MEK<\/a>), without any temporary release.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Sangar, 47 is one of Iran\u2019s longest imprisoned political activists and was arrested in 2000 and sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of \u201cmoharebeh\u201d (waging war against God) and \u201ccontacts with the MEK\u201d. He was interrogated and tortured in solitary confinement in Evin Prison for three years and reportedly subjected to 13 mock executions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MEPs also noted, \u201cThe authorities are now particularly targeting political prisoners and those arrested in connection with the nationwide protests in November 2019 subjecting them to severe torture and other ill-treatment in prisons including floggings, mock executions, waterboarding, and sexual violence and denying them life-saving medical care.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement MEPs also drew attention to the Amnesty International report, \u201cTrampling Humanity\u201d, issued on September 2, 2020, which stated that, \u201cInstead of investigating allegations of enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment and other crimes against detainees, Iranian prosecutors became complicit in the campaign of repression by bringing national security charges against hundreds of people solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, while judges doled out guilty verdicts on the basis of torture-tainted \u2018confessions\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to the fact that the regime in Iran is ignoring its international obligations and violating international human rights law and the right to life and freedom of expression of the Iranian people, MEPs stressed that, \u201cIran\u2019s Judiciary led by Ebrahim Raisi, known for his role in the massacre of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, is responsible for these atrocities and cannot be expected to hold the perpetrators to account.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEPs also pointed out that Iranian activists and Amnesty International have repeatedly called for international action to stop the authorities\u2019 bloodshed and human rights abuses in Iran and end the impunity regime officials enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MEPs who co-signed the statement called on the EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, and the EU members\u2019 states and their Foreign Ministers to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n