Iran Blocks EU Delegation Visit after Political Unrest
Iran has postponed a visit to Tehran by MEPs who were going to meet Iranian opposition activists and Majlis (parliament) members this week.
The MEPs’ visit had been planned for 7-11 January. Tehran said a new date would be set “by mutual agreement”.
The EU delegation head, a German Green politician, accused Tehran of trying to avoid a focus on political unrest, following a spate of clashes in Iran.
Barbara Lochbihler MEP said Tehran saw the visit as “a risk not worth taking”.
The cancellation was “another sad illustration of how much the Iranian leadership opposes any discussion of the major unresolved problems in the country,” she said.
Meetings with Iranian foreign ministry officials and business representatives had also been planned, the BBC reported.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday Iran banned its citizens from co-operating with foreign organisations it says are trying to destabilise the government, state media reported.
The 60 blacklisted groups include human rights groups, Iranian opposition websites and media groups such as the BBC and US broadcasters.
Iranian security forces have cracked down on opposition protests since June’s disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, arresting dozens of activists.
