The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, announced on Monday afternoon that all Iranian diplomats and any form of representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are banned from entering the European Parliament.
In a post, Metsola said that “business as usual” could not continue while the Iranian people continue to defend their rights and freedoms. She said she had taken the decision to bar all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of Iran from all European Parliament buildings.
‘No normalisation of repression’
“This institution will not help to legitimise a regime sustained through torture, repression and killings,” Metsola said, rejecting the continuation of normal relations.
She added that the European Parliament would not contribute to the normalisation of a regime responsible for serious human rights violations.
Metsola was the first institutional leader to react to the crackdown that followed the recent uprising in Iran.