FINLAND SUPPORTING BUT NOT ADDING TO JOINT U.S.-EU

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000057 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IR PHUM PREL SUBJECT: FINLAND SUPPORTING BUT NOT ADDING TO JOINT U.S.-EU STATEMENT ON IRAN REF: A. EMAIL FROM MULL DATED 6 FEB 2010 ¶B. STATE 07242 ¶C. HELSINKI 0038 ¶1. (U) Pol/Econoff delivered remarks from instruction email to Janne Jokinen, First Secretary in the Unit for Human Rights Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Jokinen stated that Finland will join the EU statement but will not be issuing a separate statement or taking any other action related to the February 11 founding date of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He did reinforce that Finland will be questioning Iran at the upcoming U.N. UPR process. ¶2. (U) Per instruction reftel STATE 07242, Pol/Econoff spoke with Jokinen on 27 January, 2010 regarding the GOF submitting questions to Iran during the UPR process. The GOF will focus its questions to Iran on extra judicial arrests, the rights of detainees and the rights of women. GOF is also seriously concerned about the legal process preceding executions and that minors are eligible for the death penalty. However, the GOF does not think that it has enough time in the UPR to question Iran on execution-related issues in the two minutes alloted. Expanded details of this conversation can be found in reftel HELSINKI 0038. ORECK