Cablegate: Finland Supporting but Not Adding to Joint U.S.-Eu

VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHE #0057 0411637
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101637Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5437

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000057

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IR PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: FINLAND SUPPORTING BUT NOT ADDING TO JOINT U.S.-EU
STATEMENT ON IRAN

REF: A. EMAIL FROM MULL DATED 6 FEB 2010
B. STATE 07242
C. HELSINKI 0038

1. (U) Pol/Econoff delivered remarks from instruction email
to Janne Jokinen, First Secretary in the Unit for Human
Rights Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Jokinen
stated that Finland will join the EU statement but will not
be issuing a separate statement or taking any other action
related to the February 11 founding date of the Islamic
Republic of Iran. He did reinforce that Finland will be
questioning Iran at the upcoming U.N. UPR process.

2. (U) Per instruction reftel STATE 07242, Pol/Econoff spoke
with Jokinen on 27 January, 2010 regarding the GOF submitting
questions to Iran during the UPR process. The GOF will focus
its questions to Iran on extra judicial arrests, the rights
of detainees and the rights of women. GOF is also seriously
concerned about the legal process preceding executions and
that minors are eligible for the death penalty. However, the
GOF does not think that it has enough time in the UPR to
question Iran on execution-related issues in the two minutes
alloted. Expanded details of this conversation can be found
in reftel HELSINKI 0038.
ORECK

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