VZCZCXRO0554
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHLJ #0035 0411303
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101303Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7665
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000035
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/IR SPRING AND MARWAHA, DRL/NESCA HUTCHINGS AND
P
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL IR SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA CONSIDERING ITS OWN STATEMENT ON IRAN
REF: A. PDAS MCELDOWNEY/EUR-DCM EMAIL OF 02/07/2010
B. STATE 12108
C. LJUBLJANA 0034
1.(SBU) CDA delivered ref A points to Foreign Minister
Zbogar's chief of staff, Aljaz Arih, on February 7. Arih
said Slovenia would support High Representative Ashton's
efforts and said he would pass along our request for a
separate Slovenia statement.
2.(SBU) Pol-Econ chief followed up on February 9 by
delivering ref B demarche to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA) Human Rights Department Head Smiljana Knez. Knez said
Slovenia is following the human rights situation in Iran very
closely through its embassy in Tehran, and in particular, is
focused on issues surrounding the death penalty, freedom of
expression and persecution of Iran's Baha'i minority.
Starting from the time of its EU Presidency in 2008, Slovenia
has systematically issued statements regarding the Iranian
regime's human rights abuses and plans to continue doing so
in the future. Knez noted that Slovenia has already prepared
its list of questions and recommendations in advance of next
week's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on Iran.
Slovenia is currently considering issuing a statement in
advance of the February 11 anniversary, but is waiting to
first see Ashton's statement. Knez expressed appreciation
for the U.S. talking points and said that the MFA would take
them into consideration when drafting Slovenia's statement.
FREDEN