Euro-MP defends the Rights of Peaceful protesters and woman activists in Iran

The Euro-MP from Romania, Mrs.Monica Luisa MACOVEI, yesterday in a debate over Iran defended the right of peaceful protesters in Iran and woman activists.
Mrs.MACOVEI addressed the issue to Catherine Ashton, EU High representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission.

The following if the text we have received of her debate in the European Parliament yesterday (19 January 2010);

I decided to use most of my time for this intervention to highlight the names of people who, reportedly, are in detention in Iran, some convicted to death, for criticizing the political establishment or for defending civil rights.

Ali Mehrnia, Parviz Varmazyari, Majid Rezaii, Alireza Nabavi, Ali Massoumi, Shirin Alavi Holi are reportedly being detained and subject to the death penalty for Mohareb (which means enmity against God).

33 women belonging to the Mourning Mothers, whose children have been killed, disappeared, or detained in post-election violence, are being harassed.

Other women activists and their families are detained: Atefeh Nabavi, Shabnam Madadzadeh, Mahsa Naderi, Fatemeh Ziaee Azad, Nazila Dashti.

Eight activists from the Committee of Human Rights Reporters are detained: Saeed Kalanaki, Saeed Jalalifar, Shiva Nazar-Ahari, Kouhyar Goudarzi, Saeed Haeri, Parisa Kakayi, Mehrdad Rahimi. Four others went into hiding after being summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence: Hesam Misaghi, Saeed Habibi, Navid Khanjani, Sepehr Atefi.

Others from the Liberal Student and Alumni Association are detained. Mehrdad Bozorg, Ehsan Dolatshah, Sina Shokohi

What these people have in common is to have reported on or voiced their concerns about the situation in Iran.

Questions:

• What is the Commission or the Council doing for the release of those imprisoned for political purposes?
• What funding does the Commission provide to human rights NGOs working on Iran? Thank you.