Catherine Stihler, Scottish Labour MEP

The story of Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize winning lawyer, the first Muslim Woman and first Iranian to receive the prize maybe well known to most of us here today.

She was the first female judge in her country but was forced to resign due to the Iranian revolution.

She defended the rights of Iranian women and children, fighting to change divorce and inheritance laws in Iran

She has stood up to defend religious minorities and their rights. Most recently she has defended 7 members of the Baha'i faith who had been collectively arrested and who are persecuted in Iran.

But it is her work on human rights and her courage and determination which has gained her respect from all of us in this chamber.

She along with other human rights activists bravely founded the Centre for the Defence of Human rights in Tehran. Its purpose was to report human rights violations in Iran, to provide representation of political prisoners and to help their families.

However, right from the start, the authorities have tried to close the office down. Those that work there have been threatened, imprisoned and intimidated. Shirin Ebadi has personally faced numerous death threats and the international community has for some time expressed its concern for her safety.

Then, just before Christmas, as those at the centre were about to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, security officials closed the centre down.

The centre must be re-opened immediately. We must put pressure on the Commission, the high representative, the Czech Presidency and our own Member States to take this case up and see the centre reopened.

It is hard for us sitting here in this chamber to truly comprehend the bravery, courage and strength required by human rights activists, like Shirin Ebadi, to function in Iran and stand up to the dictatorship

However the work of human rights lawyers and activists is needed to shine a light in what is happening in Iran, to give hope to those like the Alaei Brothers.  Arash and Kamiar, both doctors helping those with HIV and AIDS, have been charged with cooperating with an enemy government when all they have been trying to do is to help the sick professionally as doctors.

I hope that we will see the re-opening of the human rights centre and that the Parliament will do all that it can to help Shirin Ebadi. After all as fellow human beings, her struggle is also our struggle.