The Government and its EU partners have growing concerns about the protection of human rights in Iran across a wide spectrum of issues, including use of the death penalty. There appears to be a significant increase in the use of the death penalty in Iran, including the case referred to by the Deputy. Our concerns also relate to the use of the death penalty in cases of under-age offenders, lack of due process and safeguards, and the manner in which executions are carried out.
The EU makes these concerns known in demarches to the Iranian authorities and in public statements, as well as through action in international organisations. Most recently, on 19 April 2006, the EU issued a public statement about executions in Iran.
To quote from that statement, "The Union expresses its serious concern about the general increase in executions in Iran. This trend is confirmed by the ten executions carried out recently in the prison of Evin. The EU reiterates that it is, as a matter of principle, opposed to the death penalty under all circumstances and calls for its universal abolition. Where the death penalty still exists, the EU calls on states to progressively restrict its use, and insists that capital punishment could be imposed only for the most serious crimes and according to minimum standards, and that the death penalty may not be imposed on certain categories of persons such as, for example, juvenile offenders."
The General Affairs and External Relations Council reiterated these concerns at its most recent meeting, in Brussels on 15 May.
I regret that the Iranian authorities have shown little interest in improving the protection of human rights in their country. The EU has also endeavoured to engage constructively to encourage improvements through a formal Human Rights Dialogue with Iran. The last session of this dialogue was held under the Irish EU Presidency in June 2004. Iran has for two years now failed to agree a date for the next round.