Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a resolution passed by the European Parliament, accusing it of containing “baseless and false claims” regarding recent events in Iran and issuing “interventionist and irresponsible” statements against the Islamic Republic.
The ministry statement asserted that the European Parliament, many of whose members have supported “cruel sanctions” against Iran and collaborated with Israel in military aggression, lacks the “moral standing” to lecture on human rights.
The European Parliament’s resolution, adopted on January 22, expressed outrage over what MEPs described as the “repression and mass murders” perpetrated by the Iranian security forces against protesters.
They referred to protests in Iran in early January that escalated to violence and left thousands of casualties. Iranian officials have explained that the involvement of terrorist groups linked to Israel and the US have caused violence and prompted response by security forces.
The European resolution, passed with 562 votes in favor, 9 against, and 57 abstentions, called on the Council to swiftly designate Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), including the Basij militia and the overseas arm called the Quds Force, as terrorist organizations. It also demanded expanded and stricter EU restrictive measures, including asset freezes and visa bans, welcomed recent US sanctions, and called for swift EU action against officials and entities that they accused of repression.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the European Parliament’s actions, particularly in light of what it described as their inaction regarding the “genocide of Palestinians” and the ongoing violations of international law by Israel in the Middle East. “This Parliament has forfeited any credibility for its claims regarding ‘human rights’ and ‘the rule of law’,” the statement read.
According to the Iranian statement, the resolution’s authors deliberately relied on disinformation disseminated by media outlets affiliated with Israel and a war-mongering faction in the United States. Despite “conclusive and documented evidence,” including images, audio files, and field reports indicating that peaceful gatherings were violently escalated by terrorist elements linked to Israel between January 8-10, the parliament adopted a “completely biased” set of accusations against Iran’s security forces and legal institutions.
In addition to spreading falsehoods and distorting realities, the resolution blatantly violates some of the most important principles of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental rules of international law, particularly the principle of respect for national sovereignty and refraining from interference and threatening other nations, the statement added.
The Foreign Ministry expressed “disgust” at the “offensive” statements contained in the resolution regarding Iranian officials and institutions, warning that any “illegal and interventionist” decisions or stances regarding Iran’s armed forces and security system would be met with reciprocal action, and that the responsibility for the consequences would lie with those who initiated them.
