Iran, UN: European Parliament reaffirms support for LGBT rights in the world
Yesterday the European Parliament adopted resolutions on EU relations with Iran, and EU action at the United Nations’ Human Rights Council currently meeting in Geneva. Both resolutions reaffirm the European Parliament’s commitment to upholding LGBT people’s human rights worldwide.
On Iran, the European Parliament has once more urged authorities to “stop discriminating against people on the basis of their sexual orientation”, denouncing “the inhumane and medieval practice of sentencing people to death for alleged offences pertaining to choice of partners or sexual practices”. The resolution also recalls that women are particularly affected by these practices.
Parliamentarians also welcomed “steps taken by several Member States to provide shelter to those Iranian human rights defenders, dissidents, journalists, students, women, children and artists who are persecuted for their religious beliefs, opinions, sexual orientation, or other aspects of the exercise of their human rights”.
Concerning the 16th session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council currently convened in Geneva, the European Parliament also expressed its support for the cross-regional statement to be presented on LGBTI rights. As of 9 March, all 27 EU Member States and 19 neighbouring countries had already signed up to this statement.*
Read more:
- Read the resolution on the EU approach towards Iran
- Read the resolution on the 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
*: These countries are Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United Kingdom.
