IRAN: INCREASING THE PRESSURE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000171 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR P, DRL/RA, EUR/ERA, NEA/IR FOR NSC - MAGSAMEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2025 TAGS: MNUC PARM IR PREL PHUM PTER EUN SUBJECT: IRAN: INCREASING THE PRESSURE ON HUMAN RIGHTS REF: STATE 12108 Classified By: USEU POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR CHRISTOPHER DAVIS FOR REASON 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C/NF) USEU poloff presented reftel demarche on February 8 to Claudia Gintersdorfer, Iran Desk Officer at the European Council Secretariat,s Human Rights Unit, who noted that the demarche complemented the just-issued joint U.S.-EU statement on Iran. She indicated that Iran was a standing point on the COHOM schedule and would be discussed the following day, with EU Member States struggling to decide whether to support a call for a special session on Iran in the upcoming Human Rights Council. Gintersdorfer said EU Member States were reticent because: -- Iran will be discussed as a HRC candidate and during its Universal Periodic Review, so it is desirable to preserve the possibility of a special session in case Iran's HR situation deteriorates after Feb 11; -- The special session may result in an unfavorable outcome, as occurred during the Sri Lanka session last year. Gintersdorfer also indicated that the EU will be discussing Iran,s human rights situation with Brazil during the Foreign Ministerial in an effort to "get Brazil off the fence" when dealing with Iran in multilateral forums like the HRC. ¶2. (C/NF) Spanish Political Counselor Candido Creis Estrada, said that Spain's embassy in Tehran, acting as EU President, had expressed EU concern at the recent execution of the accused Royalists (reftel). Iranian authorities responded by claiming that the two men were "terrorists" who were not condemned for involement in post-election political protests, but for conducting an April 28, 2008 attack that left several dead. Creis shed no light on planned next steps in Tehran by the Spanish EU Presidency. ¶3. (C/NF) Creis specified that the joint U.S.-EU statement on Human Rights in Iran of February 8 had been issued absent any coordination with EU member states. In a separate conversation with European Commission officials Anne Koistinen and Giuseppe Busini, both noted the efficiency of HiRep Ashton,s office in releasing statements on Iran, but confirmed that that there has no been coordination with EU Member States. They also disclosed that EU Member States were unable to reach consensus on diplomatic representation at the Iranian regime,s February 11 events in Tehran. Seven EU member states apparently pushed for no EU representation. In the end, however, it was agreed to leave the decision to individual EU Member States. .