European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton today defended her talks with human rights activists during a recent visit to Iran, saying meeting dissidents is a central part of her official travels. Ashton’s spokesman, Michael Mann, also told reporters that meeting civil society representatives is part of Ashton’s visits.
"She (Ashton) always sees civil society representatives, particularly women, when she travels to a country," Mann said in Vienna. “It was the same when she went to Iran.” (Reuters, 18 March)
"She (Ashton) always sees civil society representatives, particularly women, when she travels to a country," Mann said in Vienna. “It was the same when she went to Iran.” (Reuters, 18 March)
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif canceled a customary dinner with Ashton on the eve of the Vienna talks. Iran’s official news agency said Zarif’s decision was due to “undiplomatic” behavior, a reference to her Tehran meeting with female human rights activists, including the human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.
File photo: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Brussels, 17 March 2014. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters)
34 comments:
A pity that ashton could not have visited the families of the assassinated scientists as well,zarif should have made a point of introducing them to her
Functionaries of the Mollah Regime's nuclear program are not "scientists". They are thugs collaborating with the murderers of the Iranian people.
Yes i'm sure that when ever "lady" Ashton travels to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or any other puppet dictatorship of the west she always makes time to meet with disidents especially women. I'm sure that every trip she makes to Israel she sits down with ordinary Gazan and west bank palestinians as well!
Not sure if Bahram is sarcastic, but Ashton had met with women activists in the countries he has mentioned. In Israel, it doesn't surprise me if she had met with the opposition when she traveled there. This is not a big deal; Iranian hard right made it into an issue. And that's surprising, because every time they bring up this issue, they remind the world of human rights problems in the country. Not very intelligent move on their part.
FYI, there were no prohibition under Iranian or international laws covering Ashton's meeting. The Iranian law permits visits by its citizens, including human rights lawyer Narin Sotoudeh, to foreign embassies, including Austria's where the meeting took place, and there is no law prohibiting citizens of meeting with foreign dignitaries. The international laws/diplomatic procedures also allow Ashton to meet with civil society activists and dissidents in countries she visits. Iranian foreign ministry has not produced any document or argument showing Ashton and Sotoudeh's meeting broke any laws or accepted diplomatic norms.
This phony crisis was created by Iranian hard right, which is after any excuse to re-assert itself into the center of Iranian politics, after losing the last presidential election so miserably (4 million votes were all they could muster for Jalili). By the way, Ashton also met with Jalili, who is now a member of opposition to the current government, during her trip to Tehran. Nobody cried foul for that meeting!
AnonymousMarch 19, 2014 at 7:36 AM
So anyone who works for the government is a collaborating "thug"?,thats as ridiculous as saying that anyone who disagrees with the government is a pro zionist terrorist.Blind ideological hatred like yours only makes you seem irrational
Nader UskowiMarch 19, 2014 at 12:29 PM
Considering the rather delicate state of relations between the west and iran and the state of the ongoing negotiations it was at best an ill considered unhelpful act or at worst a deliberate calculated slap in the face,it certainly is not going to help relations between the west and iran
Nader UskowiMarch 19, 2014 at 12:29 PM.
I did a search on the world wide web and could not find a single referance of "Lady" Ashton having met with any opposition or women's rights advocates in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain and the only Palestinian I could find having met with her was PA president Mahmoud Abbas who as I'm sure you know is not a disident or women's rights advocate. Since you happen to be privy to information not found on the web can you please provide a list of the disidents and women's rights activists that "Lady" Ashton has met with in regards to the Nations mentioned above so that I may crawl out of my ignorance. thank you in advance.
Bahram,show some shame towards the mothers of the murdered souls tortured under the dark dungeons of the Islamic dictatorship.Why do you reserve your hatred towards women so much?
And why do IRI Apologists always cover the crimes of the Islamic fascist dictatorship with issues like the Palestinians? I suspect IRI Apologists have much more sympathy towards Palestinians than Iranians being raped,tortured and murdered by Islamic gangsters in Iran.
Anon 6:50 PM
Put your feet in their shoes and imagine if that was your family in the prisons of the IRI. Wouldn't you be thankful that Ashton visited you and other family members to highlight your plight or would you be concerned with the so-called "relations" between Iran and the West?
Bahram,this was about Ashton visiting a group of Iranian women that have family members which have been imprisoned tortured and murdered in the deep dungeons of the IRI by Islamic fascist thugs. If you are so concerned for the Palestinians,Bahrain and Saudi Arabia go on one of their blog sites and show your sympathy towards them. I am sure they will appreciate you for that.
BahramMarch 20, 2014 at 3:03 AM
Well said
AnonymousMarch 20, 2014 at 8:41 AM
The question here is what ashton should have been concerned about,and if it were my family in prison the last thing I would want is for them to be used as political pawns by a foreign diplomat trying to score points by trying to embarrass my government
You should lay off the ideological dramatics,people might be inclined to take you more seriously without absurdities like "murdered souls tortured under the dark dungeons of the Islamic dictatorship" or "raped,tortured and murdered by Islamic gangsters",as for the plight of the palestinians why is it that malcontents like yourself feel nothing for their plight
In my post above it was my objective to show that the "Lady" Ashton sees fit to interfere in Iran's internal matters in a way that she does not dare do in countries that are in the pockets of the U.S & E.U. To me it is clear that there concern for Human Rights is only political and that the "western" hegemons do not give lick about Human rights or Womens rights or any other thing exept for there own Power and interests. But i guess i only feel that way because of my Hatred of Women and love of Palestinians ( men only not the women of course!)
It is clear from the events in the Ukrain that "lady" Ashton and the "democratic" west have a real sweet spot for "fascist thugs"!!!
I believe those of you who are expressing opposition, and in some cases disgust, to Ashton's visit are by and large private citizens and not government officials or diplomats (correct me please if I am wrong). Why are you so upset on diplomatic norms? Why don't you, at least in a sentence or two, express your opposition, and disgust, against the government's policy of keeping its opposition in prisons and under house arrest, and even putting the lawyer who represents the dissidents behind bars? When was the last time you wrote, or offered analysis, on the subject of human rights and political oppression in the country? You would have been in a better position to criticize Ashton’s visit on diplomatic grounds. As is, it seems you consider yourselves obliged to defend the Islamic Republic government, no matter what subject is the topic of discussion.
You Sir claimed that what "Lady" Ashton did in Iran was normal protocal for some one in her position. I have looked around on line and can not find a single case where she has ever met with opposition members from countries in Iran's vicinity that have good relations with the West while having poor Human/Womens Rights records just like the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this case I looked at Saudi Arabia,Bahrain and Israel.Again I could not find a single case of her meeting with anyone in opposition to these governments and unless you can provide a list of Opposition members she has met with in the countries listed above, will be forced to conclude that you are talking outside of your debt or worst that you are not being truthfull in your statments. Iran's treatment of the opposition and human rights overall are ofcourse diplorable but they are an Iranian problem to be settled by noone else but Iranians. Ashtons is the Europian Unions foreign policy chief who is part of the Nuclear negotiation going on between Iran and the P5+1, what happens in Iran or any other sovereign states internal affairs do not concern her or any other forereign entity. They see it fit for themselves to interfere and bring about favorable results for there own agendas and you Mr Uskowi think that there is nothing wrong with that.
Anon 1:16 PM said........."as for the plight of the palestinians why is it that malcontents like yourself feel nothing for their plight"
I have more concern for the plight of Iran under the savage Akhoonds than a bunch of foreigners in some far away land. As for your "ideological dramatics" diatribe look no further than the Islamic dictatorship in Iran.They should receive the Golden Globe Awards for their "ideological dramatics". You seem to be a typical anti-Iran "malcontent" who considers an Iranian as a third class citizen when compared to your beloved palestinians.
Anon 1:07 PM
So you're telling me that if this so-called "government" was imprisoning and torturing a member of your family because of their political beliefs and a foreign diplomat was highlighting this,you would be more concerned for the embarrassment of the "government"?
Have you ever heard of the Stockholm Syndrome?
Bahram,Putin has clearly shown who the real fascist thug is! Namely himself and his Russian followers. As from today anybody that lives in the West under its democracy should go and live in Russia,China or North Korea for a change so that they can appreciate it a little.
Uskowi,I keep telling you that the types of people that support the Islamic regime in Tehran reflect their views. They have no concern for the plight of political prisoners in that country because like the regime they support they consider political prisoners as "enemies". And yet I have been accused of being "biased" because of this.
I wish I were out of debt, you probably meant out of depth! Let’s talk about the depth of your argument: Ashton did not have the right to see a human rights lawyer who has been imprisoned for defending dissidents, and other women active in human rights, and the mother of a dissident executed by the regime. Two points on your argument:
1) why do you care so much about diplomatic norms, let Zarif and his ministry take care of that. Please be at least as active opposing government's policies toward dissident: prison, house arrest, and execution.
2) Aston (BTW, she has the title of "Lady" from her own country; you call people with the titles they have, like ayatollahs in Iran) does regularly meet with women activists in countries she visits, as her office has announced after the Iranian controversy. She also meets with opposition leaders, like her meeting with Morsi after he was ousted as prime minister by the Egyptian military. Her meeting with Nasrin Sotoudeh was no exception, not against any Iranian laws and not counter to any establish norms of diplomacy. This is 21st century!
So overthrowing a democratically elected government through street battles faught by hard right street thugs and using snipers that shoot at both opposition and police is good but holding a reforandum where 85% of the population votes 95% in favore of joining the Nation that they were seporated from 60 years ago without a say in the matter is bad? WoW!!! You really have the stones to dictate to people where to go and live because they don't subscribe to your sqweed and twisted view of democracy? You need to go and get your head checked!!!
I make one spelling mistake in all my posts so far( wich to be honest is really good for me personally)and you don't miss the opportunity to jump all over it.Well good for you!
1. Having some knowledge of foreign medling in Iran's history over the last hundred years or so, I do not like it when Foreigners no matter wich part of the world and no mather if they have the title of "Lady" or "Sir" or any other god damn pompous title they have before their name to think that they have a right to interfere in Iran's internal business. That doesn't mean that Iran is a perfect society with sugar and spice and every thing nice. Is there all kinds of problems existing in Iran today of course there is. Does Iran need to dramaticaly improve Politicaly,Socialy and Environmentaly? well of course it does! should Women in Iran have true equality with the Men? of course they do! These changes can only come from within and not from hypocritical foreigners who cry crocodile tears about the treatment of Women in Iran but don't give a lick about the plight of women to the south in Saudi Arabia as long as they keep their arms industries floating with there petro Dallars and be good little subservient puppets.
2. I had specificly asked about Saudi Arabia,Bahrain and Israel and you tell me that she had met with ex President Morsi of Egypt. Although he is not anything close to a Women's rights activist,he was Egypts first and only democratically elected President who was in office for a whole year before getting the boot from the Egyptian military. Funny how the west who never shut up about their democratic values never had a problem with the complete reversal of democracy in Egypt. No sanctions for Egypt unless they ever negate on there peace accord with Israel I guess!
In closing I would just like to say that in my humble oppinion that Troll "Lady" Ashton should crawl back under the bridge from whence she came! Good Night!
p.s how's my spelling? I try hard you Know!
AnonymousMarch 20, 2014 at 10:17 PM
Yes,you`re a "persian" nationalist why should you care about the suffering of arabs,right?
As for most iranians they seem quite content with both the current government and the system of governance,much to the dismay of malcontents like yourself hence the resort to the sad old ideological dramatics of "savage Akhoonds" or "Islamic gangsters" or "Islamic fascist dictatorship",the only anti iranian malcontents here are people like yourself.The government of iran doesnt put the palestinians first but unlike yourself it does spare a thought for their suffering and it does try to help them
AnonymousMarch 20, 2014 at 10:35 PM
No I would be more concerned about my loved one being used as a pawn by a foreign politician who was simply looking to score points,but I guess you`d be quite happy to try and use your loved ones or anyone elses for that matter to try and do exactly the same thing wouldnt you
Thanks for the response. You are welcome to post your comments on this blog.
Your take on Ashton's visit with Morsi is interesting. I assume if during her visit to Tehran, she had met with Mr. Mousavi, the Iranian premier during the eight years war with Iraq, and who is likewise under "house" arrest in Tehran, you wouldn't have had any problem with it. Let her know for future visits!
Thank you Mr Uskowi
I don't think that ousted democraticaly elected ex president Morsi can be compared with
Mir hosain Mousavi. Mousavi served his eight years as Iran's prime minister until the end of his mandated terms unlike Morsi who like i stated earlier was overthrown in a military coup d'etat quitly endorsed by The United States and Ashton's Europian Union! I do not agree with Mousavi's house arrest. I think he should stand trail and be held accountable for his actions in 2009.
Anon 4:18 AM said........"As for most iranians they seem quite content with both the current government and system of governance,"
Really? I presume going by your logic North Koreans seem quite content with both the current government and system of governance which is imposed by that barbaric regime on that unfortunate nation? It's very easy for Apologists of the Islamic dictatorship in Iran to write such diatribes while living in the comfort of the Western world. I guess the regime has created the armies of basiji and IRGC goons for ceremonial purposes or stopping the Iranian people from self harm?
Bahram,insulting me won't get you any results. Putin's Russia is not a "democracy" but a mafia dictatorship and ruled by former KGB agents come oligarchs. Have you forgotten when Putin invaded Georgia? Please don't tell me they were desperately trying to reintroduce Russain "democracy"?
Bahram,the main culprits are Khamenei and his gang. Don't you think they should be the main ones "accountable" and "stand trail" for their "actions in 2009" when they released their thugs on peaceful demonstrators?
AnonymousMarch 21, 2014 at 5:54 PM
If you cant see the difference between iran and the dprk then you must be blind,iran under pahlvis arab style dictatorship was far closer to the dprk,a hereditary repressive absolute dictatorship without elections.Where do malcontents like you live?
Anon 4:29 AM
You seem to have forgotten it was the families of the imprisoned and murdered that went to the Austrian embassy to meet Ashton. Why don't you go and tell them that they are being used as "pawns" and try not to embarrass their jailers and tormentors?
Anon 11:31 PM........"you must be blind,"
And you are fully sighted of course. Is that why the Islamic dictatorship has the Arabic emblem on the present flag with arabic words on both its sides.While the old flag of Iran had Shir-o-Khorsid as its emblem which was a traditional secular sign of our country. If Iran is such a democracy under the arabic influenced mullahs why do they have armies of basij and IRGC goons on the streets of Iran? Is it because they are trying to prevent Iranian people from self harm? Where do vexatious anti-Iran apologists that write diatribes like you live?
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