SLOVENIA CONSIDERING ITS OWN STATEMENT ON IRAN

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000035 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/IR SPRING AND MARWAHA, DRL/NESCA HUTCHINGS AND P E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL IR SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA CONSIDERING ITS OWN STATEMENT ON IRAN REF: A. PDAS MCELDOWNEY/EUR-DCM EMAIL OF 02/07/2010 ¶B. STATE 12108 ¶C. LJUBLJANA 0034 1.(SBU) CDA delivered ref A points to Foreign Minister Zbogar's chief of staff, Aljaz Arih, on February 7. Arih said Slovenia would support High Representative Ashton's efforts and said he would pass along our request for a separate Slovenia statement. 2.(SBU) Pol-Econ chief followed up on February 9 by delivering ref B demarche to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Human Rights Department Head Smiljana Knez. Knez said Slovenia is following the human rights situation in Iran very closely through its embassy in Tehran, and in particular, is focused on issues surrounding the death penalty, freedom of expression and persecution of Iran's Baha'i minority. Starting from the time of its EU Presidency in 2008, Slovenia has systematically issued statements regarding the Iranian regime's human rights abuses and plans to continue doing so in the future. Knez noted that Slovenia has already prepared its list of questions and recommendations in advance of next week's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on Iran. Slovenia is currently considering issuing a statement in advance of the February 11 anniversary, but is waiting to first see Ashton's statement. Knez expressed appreciation for the U.S. talking points and said that the MFA would take them into consideration when drafting Slovenia's statement. FREDEN