Doc. 8549 2^nd edition
5 October 1999

Death threat facing some Iranian citizens of the Jewish faith

Written Declaration No. 297

2^nd edition, originally tabled on 24 September 1999

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

      The undersigned, very worried about the fate of some Iranian citizens subjected to criminal proceedings failing to respect the rights of the defence or the rules of the fair trial, and particularly anxious about the imminent threat of the death penalty hanging over seven Muslims and thirteen Jews, one of whom is sixteen years old, refer to the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 15 September 1999 and express their full agreement with the appeal issued to European governments and to the Iranian authorities in the following terms:

      Having regard to both the announcement made by the Iranian Ministry of Information that the case of the Muslim and Jewish Iranians accused of espionage is to be referred to the courts, and the proceedings started against the students;

      Having regard to the accusation of "transmission of information to the Zionist regime certainly involved in this case of espionage", justifying referral to the revolutionary tribunal in pursuance of the law;

-       Whereas the new Iranian penal code based on the Sharia explicitly provides for the death penalty for any person guilty of espionage on behalf of Israel or the United States,

-       Whereas several prisoners have already been executed on the same charge, the most recent case being that of a 60-year-old Jew who was hanged in Teheran
on 2 June 1998,

-       Whereas an Iranian revolutionary tribunal has condemned four persons to death following the student pro-democracy demonstrations in July, and that other persons arrested during those demonstrations are currently under investigation and risk heavy penalties,

-       Whereas Amnesty International's damning report on conditions of detention in Iran refers to numerous instances of persons being sentenced to flogging, stoning or death,

      -       Whereas the youngest of the accused is sixteen years old,

i.       Declare their anger about the proceedings taken against the prisoners accused of espionage in Iran;

ii.       Demand the immediate release of all the prisoners to enable them freely to prepare their defence with counsel of their choice;

iii.       Call for the rights of the defence to be respected and for international observers immediately to have access to the accused persons' files and to be allowed freely to follow the whole of the proceedings;

iv.       Invite the Supreme Court immediately to suspend enforcement of the death penalty and to start a procedure for review of the judgement;

v.       Emphasise the fact that any dialogue engaged in by the European organisations, the European Union and the Council of Europe, with the Islamic Republic of Iran must be subordinate to respect for fundamental human rights.

Signed :

Durrieu, France, SOC

Aleffi, Italy, EPP/CD

Alis Font, Andorra, NR

Bartumeu Cassany, Andorra, SOC

Behrendt, Germany, SOC

Bindig, Germany, SOC

Briane, France, EPP/CD

Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR

Debarge, France, SOC

Dhaille, France, SOC

Dolazza, Italy, LDR

Dreyfus-Schmidt, France, SOC

Ehrmann, France, LDR

Goulet, France, EDG

Henry, Belgium, SOC

Ivanov S., Estonia, SOC

Legendre, France, EDG

Mariot, France, SOC

Pinggera, Italy, EPP/CD

Polenta, Italy, EPP/CD

Staes, Belgium, EPP/CD

Valkeniers, Belgium, LDR

Roseta, Portugal, EPP/CD

Squarcialupi, Italy, SOC

Einarsson, Sweden, UEL

Björnemalm, Sweden, SOC

Mikaelsson, Sweden, UEL

Dias, Portugal, SOC

______________

Total = 28

_____________________

SOC: Socialist Group

EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

EDG:European Democratic Group

LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

UEL : Group of the Unified European Left

NR : Not registered in a group