The purpose of the measure is to bring Iran’s arbitrary and violent actions to the attention of Western countries, to demand an end to violence and death sentences, and to demand the immediate release of prisoners.
Nahid Shirpisheh was sentenced to five years in prison in July 2022 after she openly criticized the Iranian regime for the murder of her son Pouya Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari was shot in the head on November 16, 2019 during protests against the Iranian regime (Bloody November). According to estimates reported by Reuters, the number of dead rose up to 1,500 in the 2019 protests. Several members of Bakhtiari’s family were arrested by the Iranian regime immediately after the murder when they objected to the impossibility of holding a memorial service.
– I have been shocked by the completely brutal behavior of the Iranian regime towards the protesters throughout the fall. We have to condemn arbitrary arrests and death sentences, several of which have already been carried out, Honkasalo emphasizes.
– By becoming a sponsor of Nahid Shirpisheh, I want to show my support to the brave Iranians who demand democracy and freedom by sacrificing their own safety and risking their lives. We cannot close our eyes to the cruelty that ordinary Iranians, even mothers and children, face when they oppose Iran’s authoritarian regime, Honkasalo continues.
As Nahid Shirpisheh’s political protector, Veronika Honkasalo demands her immediate release and the initiation of an investigation into the murder of her son Bakhtiari. Honkasalo follows Nahid’s case, e.g. by contacting representatives of the Iranian administration in Finland and reporting the progress of the case in public.
MP Veronika Honkasalo joins the group of other European MPs who want to use their own position to free Iranians who are arbitrarily imprisoned and awaiting the death sentence. In Germany this has been done, for example, by MPs Ye-One Rhie and Carmen Wegge and in Sweden by MP Håkan Svenneling.
In Iran, the protests that started with the shocking death of Jina (Mahsa) Amin as a result of beatings by the morality police in September 2022 have continued for several months. They have expanded into an anti-government uprising. The Iranian regime has responded to the protests with unspeakable violence. Hundreds of people have been killed, including children. In addition, thousands have been arrested. The European Union and its member states – including Finland – have condemned Iran’s extensive and unreasonable use of force against peaceful demonstrators. The EU has also targeted those guilty of serious human rights violations in Iran, for example.