Motions I am speaking on during the next Parliamentary sitting week.

MR L.X SIMPKINS:

To move – That this House.

(1) Notes that: a. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct Presidential elections on June 14 (Khordad 24 on the Iranian calendar) of 2013.

b. Within Iran, political activists, journalist, and political opposition leaders are imprisoned, and often tortured, for attempting to express their freedom of speech, political and media freedom, and for attempting to hold their government accountable for its actions.

c. Iran continues to refuse international inspectors free and unfettered access to its nuclear program and this raises suspicions that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

(2) Recognises that: a. The upcoming Iranian elections will see Mahmoud Ahmadinejad replaced as President by another Supreme Leader endorsed candidate.

b. Political prisoners being held in violation of human rights must be released as a first step towards holding free and fair elections.

c. Iran’s potential acquisition of nuclear weapons poses a serious threat to the Middle Eastern region, and especially to Israel, and could lead to nuclear proliferation.

d. The Government’s decision in sending two senior officials to the Non-Aligned Movement in Iran in August has potentially undermined efforts to isolate the nation. Iran’s Supreme Leader has viewed the participation of nations from around the world at the NAM in Iran as affirmation of sanction failure and as a level of endorsement for Iran.

(3) Calls for: a. The release of political prisoners in Iran in order to take a step towards the nation conducting legitimate elections, and as an attempt to begin to resolve some of Iran’s human rights issues.

b. The taking of all possible steps to increase sanctions and isolate the regime and pressure it to allow free and unfettered access to International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.