EU-parlementsleden naar Iran, ondanks Amerikaans verzoek om thuis te blijven (en)
A group of 15 US congressmen has urged MEPs to call off a trip to Iran in January. But the visit is scheduled to go ahead despite a worsening diplomatic climate.
The US group, which includes both Democrats and Republicans, made its plea in a letter to European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek i last week, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"We believe that a visit from the EP would send the wrong message to the Iranian government and undermine the international efforts to end their nuclear program," it said.
The EU delegation is set to travel to Iran between 7 and 11 January and aims to meet with members of the Iranian legislature, the Majilis, as well as human rights activists.
It is to be chaired by German Green MEP Barbara Lochbihler and to include German Christian Democrat Kurt Lechner, who played down the significance of the visit in terms of international relations. "We are not diplomats," he told the US newspaper.
The EU and US are in talks with Iran about its nuclear programme, with Washington recently threatening to increase economic sanctions early in the New Year.
The MEPs' visit also comes amid violent clashes between Iranian opposition activists and state security services earlier this week that reportedly saw eight campaigners killed, drawing an EU rebuke.
"The [EU] Presidency re-iterates the commitment of the European Union to human rights and democratic values ... Brutal force against and the arbitrary detentions of demonstrators constitute gross violations of these basic human rights," it said.
In August, the heads of mission of 20 EU member state embassies based in Tehran attended the inauguration ceremony of the Iranian president shortly after street battles which left up to 15 opposition activists dead.
The Swedish EU presidency at the time cited the need to "keep diplomatic channels open" as justification for its ambassador's presence at the event.
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