European Pressure on Tehran is Discussed in Rome

Adnkronos International:

Europe needs to try to persuade Iran to show greater respect for human rights and to forsake its attempts to contravene international nuclear conventions - but the country must not be isolated, speakers at a conference in Rome agreed. "We mustn't fall into the trap set by extremists and isolate Iran culturally, that would play right into their hands" Valdo Spini a member of the Italian parliament's foreign affairs commission told the conference organised by Adnkronos International (AKI).

"Each time foreign nations try to interfere in what is going on in Iran, the population rallies around the government, even when many don't share its views," said Iranian journalist and media freedom activist, Mashaollah Shams el-Vaezim, another speaker at the conference. READ MORE

Italian senator Lamberto Dini, a former prime minister, said Italy had a role to play in exerting pressure on Iran to respect human rights.

"We have been doing this within the Council of Europe and the United Nations Human Rights Commission. But if we want this to be effective, then we have to ensure that that this UN body is made up of democratic nations," Dini said.

Youssef Molaie, who is the defence lawyer of jailed Iranian journalist, Akbar Ganji, also attended the conference at AKI's Rome headquarters. Ganji is held in solitary confinement and is in grave health after going on hunger strike to protest his detention.

"My client has been denied his rights as a citizen, which include access to medicines and permission for his daughters to visit him in prison," Molaie said.

"The authorities have said they will grant him his rights only if he renages some of the articles he has written and which the government regards as unacceptable. That is the state of human rights in Iran today," Molaie said.