EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, in a statement on behalf of the European Union, condemned the “Iranian practice of arbitrary detention” of EU citizens and people with dual citizenship of the EU and Iran. It is reported by Interfax.
“A big concern is the growing number of EU citizens currently detained by Iran on spurious grounds. Many of them are held in degrading conditions without the possibility of a fair trial,” the document, published in Brussels, says.
It notes that Iran must stop “the deplorable practice of detaining foreign civilians for political gain.”
“The European Union calls on Iran to strictly comply with its international obligations, in particular, in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party,” the statement emphasizes.
Brussels sees “a direct violation of international law” in Iran’s current policies, including restrictions on consular access for EU citizens, the denial of consular protection and the right to a fair trial.
“The European Union expects the Iranian authorities to facilitate the performance of consular functions by the relevant EU member states, allowing them to communicate and have regular access to their citizens, as required by international law,” the document says.
Given the serious risk to their personal safety, EU member states advise their citizens to avoid travel to Iran, in line with national risk assessments.
Source: Rosbalt
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