This morning, at the Farnesina, Undersecretary of State Maria Tripodi received – on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Antonio Tajani – a group of Iranian university students studying in Italy. Undersecretary Tripodi confirmed once again Italy’s firm condemnation of the brutal repression of protests, of the excessive use of violence by the Iranian law enforcement agencies on civilians and of the execution of two young Iranians who had been sentenced to death for taking part in the protests. In this regard, she reasserted that Italy unconditionally opposes the death penalty, at any time and under all circumstances. She also stressed that Italy is striving– at all levels and in all spheres – for Iran to immediately cease conducts that risk irreparably compromising the pact of trust between citizens and institutions and to respect the fundamental rights of its people, in particular of its younger generation, whose right to aim for a future based on freedom, opportunities and participation in social life must be acknowledged.
The Undersecretary also pointed out that the Government has actively contributed to the adoption of EU sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities following serious violations of human rights, that it has supported the Resolution of the UN Human Rights Council of 24 November, which established an Independent Fact-Finding Mission to investigate human rights violations in Iran, and that it has expressed itself in favour of removing Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women of the UN Social and Economic Council on 14 December and in favour of the General Assembly’s Resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran, adopted on 15 December.