Foreign MPs bring worldwide attention to the devastating human rights situation in Iran
December 7, 2021, 4:35 pm

Foreign MPs bring worldwide attention to the devastating human rights situation in Iran

Iran-City of Isfahan/Pixabay

As we commemorate and honor the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime and the International Human Rights Day, we would like to bring worldwide attention to the devastating human rights situation in Iran.

The incumbent president, Ebrahim Raisi was a member of the so-called “Death Commission” in the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members and supporters of the PMOI/MEK, the democratic opposition to the regime. During his tenure as the Judiciary Chief, over 12,000 protesters were arrested in the November 2019 uprising and under his supervision, prisoners were subject to torture and many disappeared while in custody.

While only four months have passed since his selection, 150 prisoners have been executed with the intention to terrify the Iranian people and prevent another nationwide uprising, like the one in November 2019.

Iran president Ebrahim Raisi

On June 19 2021, Agnès Callamard, the Secretary General of Amnesty International responded to the announcement of Raisi’s election as President by saying: “That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran.”

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has issued a damning report on the grave human rights violations that have occurred in Iran in which he expresses his concern over impunity from past violations such as the 1988 massacre. The UN Secretary-General has accused the Iranian regime of “destroying evidence of the execution of political dissidents at that time (1988) and the harassment and criminal prosecution of families of victims calling for truth and accountability.”

Recently, the highest federal court in Switzerland ordered the federal prosecutor to investigate the assassination of Kazem Rajavi in Geneva in 1990 by the mullahs’ regime under the title of crime against humanity and genocide. Dr. Rajavi was the representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Switzerland and a former ambassador.

Women, as well as ethnic and religious minorities, continue to face entrenched discrimination as well as violence. Female political prisoners are subject to illegal and arbitrary detention, torture, unjust imprisonment and other cruel and inhuman treatment.

The flip side to the brutal suppression of human rights in Iran is its efforts to acquire the nuclear bomb, its long-range ballistic missiles production and expansion of terrorism, and warmongering in the region.

Therefore, we, members of the European Parliament, call on the European Union and member states:
To adopt a firm policy on Iran and to make the respect for human rights and abolition of death penalty a precondition in its relations with the Iranian regime.

To recognize the 1988 massacre as a genocide and crime against humanity.

To call on the UN Security Council to address serious and systematic human rights violations in Iran and do everything in its power so that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.

Signed,

Javier ZARZALEJOS, MEP from Spain
Milan ZVER, MEP from Slovenia
Gianna GANCIA, MEP from Italy
Ivan ŠTEFANEC, MEP from Slovakia
Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, MEP from Lithuania
Lars Patrick BERG, MEP from Germany
Hermann TERTSCH, MEP from Spain
Veronika VRECIONOVÁ, MEP from Czech Republic
Jan ZAHRADIL, MEP from Czech Republic
José Manuel FERNANDES, MEP from Portugal
Alexandr VONDRA, MEP from Czech Republic
Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, MEP from Poland
David CASA, MEP from Malta
Franc BOGOVIČ, MEP from Slovenia
Ádám KÓSA, MEP from Hungary
Ladislav ILČIĆ, MEP from Croatia
Ljudmila NOVAK, MEP from Slovenia
Riho TERRAS, MEP from Estonia
Liudas MAŽYLIS, MEP from Lithuania
Róża THUN UND HOHENSTEIN, MEP from Poland
Marco CAMPOMENOSI, MEP from Italy
Stanislav POLČÁK, MEP from Czech Republic
Romana TOMC, MEP from Slovenia
Juozas OLEKAS, MEP from Lithuania
Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ, MEP from Lithuania
Andrius KUBILIUS, MEP from Lithuania
Anna FOTYGA, MEP from Poland
Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, MEP from Spain
Radosław SIKORSKI, MEP from Poland
Maria WALSH, MEP, from Ireland
Petri SARVAMAA, MEP from Finland
Isabella TOVAGLIERI, MEP from Italy
Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, MEP from Poland
Ryszard CZARNECKI, MEP from Poland
Alessandra MORETTI, MEP from Italy
Billy KELLEHER, MEP from Ireland
Zbigniew KUZMIUK, MEP from Poland
Irena JOVEVA, MEP from Slovenia
Aušra MALDEIKIENĖ, MEP from Lithuania
Dorien ROOKMAKER, MEP from Netherlands
Leopoldo LÓPEZ GIL, MEP from Spain
Anna BONFRISCO, MEP from Italy
Krzysztof HETMAN, MEP from Poland
Asim ADEMOV, MEP from Bulgaria
Radka MAXOVÁ, MEP from Czech Republic
Seán KELLY, MEP from Ireland
Bert-Jan RUISSEN, MEP from Netherlands
Roberts ZĪLE, MEP from Latvia
Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, MEP from Spain
Marco ZANNI, MEP from Italy
Miroslav RADAČOVSKÝ, MEP from Slovakia
Kinga GÁL, MEP from Hungary
Ivars IJABS, MEP from Latvia
Rosa D'AMATO, MEP from Italy
Isabel BENJUMEA, MEP from Spain
Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, MEP from Czech Republic
Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI, MEP from Poland
Benoît BITEAU, MEP from France
Carlo FIDANZA, MEP from Italy
Marian-Jean MARINESCU, MEP from Romania
Andrey NOVAKOV, MEP from Bulgaria
Adam BIELAN, MEP from Poland
Colm MARKEY, MEP from Ireland
Johan VAN OVERTVELDT, MEP from Belgium
Assita KANKO, MEP from Belgium
Gabriel MATO, MEP from Spain
Anna ZALEWSKA, MEP from Poland
Geert BOURGEOIS, MEP from Belgium
Peter van DALEN, MEP from Netherlands
Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR, MEP from Spain
Dominique RIQUET, MEP from France
Raffaele FITTO, MEP from Italy
Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, MEP from Romania
Jiří POSPÍŠIL, MEP from Czech Republic
Elżbieta RAFALSKA, MEP from Poland
Grzegorz TOBISZOWSKI, MEP from Poland
Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA, MEP from Poland
Jarosław DUDA, MEP from Poland
Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, MEP from Spain
Jaak MADISON, MEP from Estonia
Beata MAZUREK, MEP from Poland
Morten LØKKEGAARD, MEP from Denmark
Attila ARA-KOVÁCS, MEP from Hungary
Pablo ARIAS ECHEVERRÍA, MEP from Spain
Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, MEP from Poland
Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, MEP from Poland
Helmut GEUKING, MEP from Germany
Pilar del CASTILLO VERA, MEP from Spain
Iuliu WINKLER, MEP from Romania
Peter POLLÁK, MEP from Slovakia
Margarita DE LA PISA CARRIÓN, MEP from Spain
Susanna CECCARDI, MEP from Italy
Stefania ZAMBELLI, MEP from Italy
Alessandra BASSO, MEP from Italy
Gheorghe-Vlad NISTOR, MEP from Romania
Marc ANGEL, MEP from Luxembourg
Pietro FIOCCHI, MEP from Italy
Fulvio MARTUSCIELLO, MEP from Italy
Bogdan RZOŃCA, MEP from Poland
Andrey KOVATCHEV, MEP from Bulgaria
Silvia SARDONE, MEP from Italy
Rosanna CONTE, MEP from Italy

Levantnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.

March 27, 2025

Foreign MPs bring worldwide attention to the devastating human rights situation in Iran

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