Heidi Hautala  (Greens/EFa, FI) , Chairwoman of the Human Rights  Subcommittee, and Barbara Lochbihler  (Greens/EFA, DE) ,  Chair of the Delegation for relations with Iran, have strongly condemned the execution of Ms Zahra Bahrami, 46 years old mother of two, on 29th of January.[:]

Ms Bahrami, a Dutch-Iranian citizen, initially travelled from Netherlands to Iran to see her daughter and family and was arrested in January 2009.  According to various reports, she was tortured during her imprisonment to extract a confession for drug related charges. Ms Bahrami, a Dutch-Iranian citizen, and her lawyer, Jinoos Sharif Razi had always strongly denied such accusations.

We find it abhorrent that in grave violation of international human rights treaties, her lawyer was not informed of the execution. Not only have the Iranian authorities denied her the most fundamental human right that is the right to life, they denied her a right to be properly defended. The secrecy that surrounds the judiciary in Iran is the shield that covers too many of horrendous abuses such as this one. Ms Bahrami was not the first to lose her life since the beginning of 2011.

We have been informed that since the beginning of 2011 more than 66 executions have been carried out,  meaning more than two a day. This continuous violation of the right to life by the Iranian authorities has shocked the international community.

 The European Parliament in its resolution of 7th September 2010 called in strong terms for Ms Bahrami to be freed and that she is guaranteed access to her lawyer so long as she remains in detention. 

We express our sympathy and condolences to Zahra Bahrami’s family.