U.S., EU 'Condemn' Iranian Human Rights Violations

The United States and the European Union on Monday offered a condemnation against Iran's government for human rights violations, saying intimidation, detentions, show trials and executions of presidential election protesters defies international standards.

"We call on the government of Iran to live up to its international human rights obligations, to end its abuses against its own people, to hold accountable those who have committed the abuses and to release those who are exercising their rights," reads a joint statement issued by the White House.

The 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution is Thursday, and EU and U.S. officials say they are concerned that the date will be used by the Iranian government to crack down further on individuals who've protested Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election last June 12. Many say Ahmadinejad stole the vote out from opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi

Amnesty International cites Iranian counts that 40 people have died in demonstrations since the election, and more than 5,000 people have been arrested while scores have been sentenced to prison and at least 11 sentenced to death, including two, Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, whose executions were carried out on Jan. 28 after being convicted in October of "enmity to God."

"The United States and the European Union condemn the continuing human rights violations," the joint U.S.-EU statement said. "The large scale detentions and mass trials, the threatened execution of protestors, the intimidation of family members of those detained and the continuing denial to its citizens of the right to peaceful expression are contrary to human rights norms."