A press release from the European Parliament states that President Pöttering, on behalf of the European Parliament, denounced the detention of seven leaders of the Baha'i Faith by the Iranian government, “which, according to alarming reports, ‘does not respect the requirements of the rule of law.’”

It notes that members of the Baha'i Faith have been detained for eight months, and that their attorney, Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, has received death threats. The release said that President Pöttering called on the Iranian authorities to respect human rights and release the prisoners without delay.