human rights defenders mechanisms

Brussels, 8 October 2011 A 399/11 – The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

“The High Representative wishes to express her concern over the 11 year prison sentence given to Iranian Human Rights Lawyer and activist, Ms Narges Mohammadi, a founding member and Executive Chair of Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi’s “Centre for Human Rights Defenders” (CHRD).

The High Representative is also concerned about Ms. Mohammadi’s health and the reports that she may not be receiving the medical attention she needs.

The High Representative has called on Iran numerous times to respect the work of human rights lawyers and activists. The sentence against Narges Mohammadi is yet another example of unjust persecution of those who show the courage and determination to stand up for human rights in Iran.”

Brussels, 5 August 2011 A 312/11 – The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

“The High Representative expresses her serious concern over the rejection, on 2nd August, by the Supreme People’s Court, of lawyer Cu Huy Ha Vu’s appeal against the 4 April Hanoi People’s Court decision sentencing him to seven years in prison and another three years of supervised probation.

The High Representative is very concerned by the treatment received by Mr Vu, the failure to respect due process and the upholding of the sentence at the appeal.

Such failure to uphold the law and the fundamental right of all persons to hold opinions and freely and peacefully express them – in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a party – is particularly disappointing in light of Vietnam’s good economic progress and its stated ambition to take a greater and more responsible place in the world.

The High Representative expresses her goodwill and readiness to continue to work in partnership with Vietnam on these and other human rights and rule of law issues, so that Vietnam’s full potential can be realised”.

Brussels, 26 July 2011 A 296/11 – The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

“The High Representative expresses her serious concern over the increasingly difficult conditions for human rights lawyers in Iran. The latest example is the case of prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who was arrested in 2009 and recently sentenced to 9 years in prison and a 10 year occupational ban. The persecution of human rights defenders in Iran is in breach of the international obligations that Iran has itself signed up to. The High Representative calls on Iran to respect these obligations, which she believes would warrant a review of the case of Mohammad Ali Dadkhah.”

BRUSSELS – , 23 June 2011 A 245/11 – The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

“The High Representative welcomes the reports that the artist Ai Weiwei has been released, while regretting the circumstances of his detention.
This case has been the subject of widespread concern and featured among others in the recent EU- China human rights dialogue held last week in Beijing.”