The EBU has welcomed the historic vote of the European Parliament which calls for an end to the harassment and persecution of BBC Persian journalists and their families.

On March 14 the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution criticising Iran’s treatment of human rights defenders, human rights lawyers and journalists.

The resolution states that, “freedom of the press, both on and offline, freedom of association, and freedom of thought are repressed in Iran” and that “Iranian authorities have systematically targeted journalists, including those working for the BBC Persian service, and their families, through the use of criminal investigations, asset freezes, arbitrary arrest, detention, surveillance, harassment, and by spreading false, malicious, and defamatory publicity.”

The resolution “demands that the authorities in Iran stop the surveillance, arrest, harassment, and prosecution of journalists, online activists, and their families, end online censorship, and calls for the creation of conditions which tolerate freedom of expression and freedom of the media both on and offline.”

The Joint Motion for a Resolution was supported by six political groups, including ECR, S&D (which includes Labour MEPs) and Verts/ ALE (which includes the Green Party).

The full text, which was passed unamended, is available here.