Sueddeutsche Zeitung_20090703_english

(Translation by Julia – source: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/684/479178/text/)

EU and Iran

03. July 2009, 07:46

Possible Immigration Ban for Representatives of Regime

The European Union apparently is going to decide about banning immigration of Iranian government members.

The European Union is apparently considering to impose an immigration ban on members of the Iranian government. According to reports of Financial Times Deutschland which refer to diplomats, the EU committee for politics and security policy is going to advise on this measure.

The measure mainly aims at people implicated in violence against demonstrators, attempts of intimidation towards diplomats, and possible fraud during the presidental election on July 12. A decision about the immigration ban can be expected by next week. According to the report, the decision will depend on the country’s situation.

The EU has imposed immigration bans before, e.g. for President Alexander Lukaschenko of Belarus and members of his administration. At that time, the EU had also assumed an electoral fraud.

More on the Subject

In addition, the EU issued warnings of diplomatic consequences in case the Iranian authorities will not release all of the arrested employees of the British Embassy. “We are ready to act”, says a spoksewoman of the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt. However, the EU, since last week under Swedish presidency of the council, is interested in maintaining their relations with Iran.

Great Britain had suggested to temporarily recall the ambassadors of all EU-members from Tehran. Some of the members, however, hope to be able to achieve a release of the arrested employees by mere diplomatic pressure. Two of the nine arrested employees of the British Embassy are still being detained.