Wednesday, 2nd June 2010
Scots MEP brands Iran minister a ‘murderer’
Scottish MEP Struan Stevenson branded Iran’s foreign minister a “murderer” in angry scenes outside the European Parliament in Brussels.
There were scuffles outside the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee as MEPs protested at the presence of Iranian Foreign Minister Mannouchehr Mottaki.
Mr Stevenson, who was one of those involved in the clash, held up posters of murdered Iranian student Neda Agha Soltan, who was shot dead by security forces during last year’s protests against the fraudulent elections in the Middle Eastern nation.
As he entered the meeting yesterday (June 1), Mr Stevenson shouted at Mr Mottaki:
"Your fascist brand of Islam abuses women, rapes, tortures and executes men, women and children, executes political prisoners and peaceful protesters, falsifies election results, lies about the development of nuclear weapons and finances, arms and trains terrorist groups throughout the Middle East.
“You have repeated your lies about nuclear weapons here, today, in this committee.”
Mr Stevenson, who is President of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq, said that it was "a disgrace" that Mr Mottaki had been allowed to enter the European Parliament:
"Everything you stand for," he said "runs counter to our core principles.
“You claim that Iran has the world's oldest declaration of human rights in its archives. Is this the latest chapter in your human rights declaration?" he asked, holding up a poster of Neda lying dead in a pool of blood.
Mr Stevenson then stormed out of the Foreign Affairs Committee meeting in Brussels to loud applause from many of the members.
