EU Should Be Hard on Iran

Fiorello Provera

Eighty Members of the European Parliament, including its former president, Hans-Gert Pöttering, and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, are urging the parliament to honor its commitment to human rights by remembering the life of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman who was killed last June in Tehran while standing up for her rights. We believe that the European Parliament should commemorate her sacrifice by hanging a poster of her image on the external wall of the parliament’s premises in Brussels, beside the poster of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma’s democratic opposition.

This year will be a crucial and uncertain year for Iran and for its relations with the European Union. The domestic hostility toward the regime that erupted in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections last June has not died away but has become stronger and more determined.

The Ashura riots of December and the violent suppression of protests during the recent anniversary to mark the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution were some of the fiercest to date. The regime’s sharp crackdown ahead of the anniversary did not stop thousands from marching in the streets, despite the threat of swift retribution. The likelihood of more arrests, trials and bloodshed is a concern for many in the international community.

More ominously, following the riots the regime put 16 opposition members on trial for taking part in the demonstrations, with prosecutors indicating that some would be charged with the offense of mohareb — “making a war against God” — a capital crime.

The heavy-handed approach adopted by the regime is causing friction even among its loyalists. A former member of Iran’s parliament, Javad Ettaat, argues that the “government is contravening the principles of Islam by using an iron fist against protesters.” Mohammad Taghi Khalaji, a cleric and devoted follower of Ayatollah Khomeini, was arrested on Jan. 12 after saying at a Tehran mosque that Iran’s leaders should repent for their actions.

The European Parliament has been paying close attention to Iran’s deteriorating situation. There has been pressure to impose targeted sanctions aimed at impeding the financial operations of the country’s Revolutionary Guard, which holds a virtual monopoly over strategic industries such as banking, defense and construction. Since many European companies have profited from investing in such firms, deciding on the terms of sanctions could prove cumbersome.

On the issue of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Iranian government’s equivocal position is also a source of growing concern. Many European lawmakers are worried by the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran on Europe’s doorstep and are not convinced by the regime’s claim that it seeks only nuclear energy.

It is critical, therefore, that the EU demonstrate its commitment to the Iranian people through actions, rather than words by taking a tougher stance against the regime. Targeted sanctions aimed at the Revolutionary Guard would be an important step, but so is clearly expressing solidarity with the millions of Iranians who are fighting for a democratic and pluralist society.

Europe should stand with Iran’s civil society, and the European Parliament has already paid tribute to the courage of all those Iranian men and women who are defending their basic freedoms and democratic principles. A concrete demonstration of its commitment is the request to make better use of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights.

Eighty Members of the European Parliament, including its former president, Hans-Gert Pöttering, and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, are urging the parliament to honor its commitment to human rights by remembering the life of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman who was killed last June in Tehran while standing up for her rights. We believe that the European Parliament should commemorate her sacrifice by hanging a poster of her image on the external wall of the parliament’s premises in Brussels, beside the poster of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma’s democratic opposition.

Agha Soltan has become a symbol of the desire for freedom of a people that Europe must help. This simple act could demonstrate the importance of Europe’s soft power, which frightens the Islamic Republic more than the threat of military force by keeping the media spotlight on the regime’s human rights record and emphasizing its growing isolation. It would also foster stronger ties between Iran’s civil society and the outside world, while setting an example to the international community that the EU is committed to the principles enshrined in its own Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Europe’s policy for Iran is not regime change, but when human rights and democracy are at stake we cannot simply close our eyes.

Fiorello Provera is vice chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. © Project Syndicate