Letter to the Editor: Iran and the World Cup

Dear Sir,

Iran's World Cup campaign begins on June 11th and the Iranian President must not be allowed to get a ticket for any of his country's games.

As President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has presided over has a systematic persecution of minority religions such as the Baha'is, and even applies the death penalty to minors, homosexuals and for women committing sexual misdemeanours.

I have joined more than 75 directly elected Members of the European Parliament from across the political spectrum to call upon EU governments to declare the Iranian President “persona non grata ad personam” within EU member states as long as his positions on martyrdom for suicide bombers, the Holocaust, the destruction of Israel and Iran's uranium enrichment activities remain unchanged.

Any visit by the Iranian leader to Europe will send the wrong signal to the international community. We must stand up to oppression in Iran.

Nirj Deva DL MEP
Member of the European Parliament for South East England

169B Kennington Road
London
SE11 6SF