The Europe-Iran Business Forum was scheduled for December last year but was postponed following the Iranian regime’s execution of opposition journalist Ruhollah Zam.
The Europe-Iran Business Forum
It is now due to start this coming Monday with the participation of political and business figures from around Europe, including EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. It seems like Europe is willing to forgive and forget when it comes to the regime’s most horrific human rights violations.
Instead of ignoring what Iran has done, there should be accountability and more serious policies put in place. If the regime is not held accountable, it is just going to continue violating human rights.
The trial of Assadollah Assadi
And in the wake of the trial of Assadollah Assadi who was involved with plotting the foiled bomb attack against the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) in June 2018 outside Paris, many are warning Western lawmakers that they are giving the regime the green light to continue on the same path.
Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism
The Assadi trial showed that Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism has become particularly brazen in recent years. Hundreds of dignitaries and political figures from Europe, North America, and other parts of the world attended the event and the consequences would have been far-reaching had the plot not been foiled. Assadi was operating for the Iranian regime and his orders came from high up in the ranks.
There have been many calls for the regime to take concrete action; the closure of its centers of terrorism and espionage – its embassies, holding Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accountable for his diplomat’s role in the terror plot, a reassessment of diplomatic relations with Iran, and so on.
Legitimizing the Iranian regime terrorism
Yet EU leadership has completely disregarded this and Iran’s Foreign Minister will now be standing side by side with the chief of EU foreign policy. This is just legitimizing the Iranian regime and is a threat to security in Europe.
Representatives from hundreds of Iranian communities across the world wrote to European Council President Charles Michel earlier this week to express their alarm at the West’s “inexcusable silence and inaction”.
They called for the EU to reconsider all business relations with the regime, conditioning them on cessation of its belligerent and terrorist actions and its violations of human rights.
EU should consider the role of the Iranian people
And it is important for the EU to consider the role of the people of Iran and the abuse they suffer at the hands of the regime.
The regime’s violations of human rights continue to this day and already there have been at least 60 executions this year alone – the year that we are only two months into.
Iranian regime’s impunity must end
At the beginning of this week, there was major unrest in parts of Iran, with IRGC forces opening fire on people in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan. The latest reports indicate that 100 people have been injured and at least 40 killed.
Surely the Iranian regime’s impunity must end and events like the Business Forum canceled? If the EU really places so much value on human rights as it claims, something will have to change.
MEK Iran (follow them on Twitter and Facebook)
and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube