On Sunday, MEK supporters held a rally outside of the Munich Security Conference in Germany to protest regime Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s presence at the conference. The protesters called for Zarif to be expelled from the conference and for an end to the policy of appeasement toward the mullahs’ regime.

Videos and images posted on social media show protesters marching in the streets of Munich chanting, “Zarif is a terrorist!”, Kick Javad Zarif out!”, “No to appeasement, yes to resistance!”, “Terrorist Zarif out of Munich!”, and “Democracy, freedom with Maryam Rajavi!”

Iranians in #Munich tell #MSC2019, Javad #Zarif doesn't represent the ppl of #Iran; he represents a vile & decaying terrorist regime.
"No to Appeasement, Yes to Regime Change."#IStandWithMaryamRajavi@MunSecConf @ischinger @USADarFarsi @RichardGrenell @eu_eeas @GermanyDiplo @VP pic.twitter.com/MmSKB7jdmt

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 17, 2019

MEK supporters also carried a banner reading, “Munich Security Conference is no Place for Terrorists: Kick Javad Zarif Out! World Peace & Security Requires Regime Change in Iran,” and “Down with Khamenei and Rouhani.” Other protesters held banners proclaiming that Iran as the number one state sponsor of terrorism and the primary cause of instability in the region.

2018 Terrorist Plots against the MEK

In June 2018, an Iranian couple was arrested in Belgium with 500 grams of TATP explosives en route to the annual gathering of the Iranian Resistance in Paris, which was attended by tens of thousands of MEK members, as well as dozens of high-ranking international lawmakers and dignitaries, many of whom later filed lawsuits against the Iranian regime for the attempted attack on their lives. German authorities arrested Iranian regime diplomat Assadollah Assadi later that day for personally delivering the explosives to the couple. Assadi is currently standing trial in Belgium for masterminding the terrorist plot.

An investigation by French intelligence later concluded “without any doubt” that the attack had been orchestrated by the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. In January of this year, the European Union sanctioned the MOIS and two of its agents for their role in some of the regime’s terrorist plots against the MEK on European soil in 2018.

Zarif’s Culpability

The MEK has called on the European Union to close the Iranian regime’s embassies and expel agents of the MOIS and the Quds Force. It has also asked for the United States and the E.U. to add the MOIS and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to their terrorist lists.

The MEK protesters objected to Zarif’s presence at the conference because, as a member of the regime’s Supreme National Security Council, he has played a key role in the regime’s acts of terrorism.

#MEK supporters march on the streets of #Munich to denounce Javad #Zarif's presence at #MSC2019 #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #Iran #FreeIranhttps://t.co/4SMolERcVU pic.twitter.com/BUF4xXZaPQ

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 17, 2019

In November 2018, Zarif told the regime’s Parliament that he takes orders directly from regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: “We are not a system in which people can act on their own,” he said. “We cannot do anything in this country without having to report it. … It is not true that we acted against the will of the Supreme Leader,” Zarif said in comments carried on State television.

The MEK protesters in Munich asked the participants at the Security Conference to take action against the Iranian regime for its terrorist activities. They also urged the international community to recognize the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the mullahs’ theocratic regime and create a free Iran.

Staff Writer

On Thursday, February 14, teachers across a number of Iranian cities took to the streets to protest poor working conditions, low pay, and the clerical regime’s systematic oppression of worker’s rights activists.

Teachers from Ardebil, Kermanshah, Marivan, Mashhad, Urmia, and Sanandaj organized rallies to draw attention to their plight and put pressure on the regime to respond to their demands. One of their most prominent demands is for the instant release of teacher activists from regime custody. Among the placards at the rallies were slogans like “in a country where teachers are behind bars, we can only weep blood.”

In typical fashion, the regime responded to the teacher’s protests with repressive tactics. There were plainclothes regime agents present at the rallies and the regime deployed agents to disperse protests in some cities.

Numerous protests by teachers across #Iran.#IranProtestshttps://t.co/UIRK3irEBH

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 15, 2019

An Education System Crumbling Under Economic Pressure

Teachers are under immense financial pressure. Soaring inflation and the decline in Iranian purchasing power has left teachers earning less than $100 a month, putting teachers below the regime’s own recognized poverty line.

Among the political demands of the teachers is the right for minority students to be educated in their own language. The regime has systematically suppressed minority rights and removed minority languages from the public sphere.

"… as the nationwide uprisings that began in 2017 continue, the people of Iran are developing a spirit of solidarity, and with the help of organized resistance units, they’re inching toward achieving their ultimate demand…"#Iran#IranProtestshttps://t.co/Hmz9P3JAxT

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 16, 2019

Regime officials should fear the swelling of the teachers’ movement. The country’s educators are articulate, well-organized and enjoy the support of the Iranian people. The events on Thursday clearly demonstrated this.

The nation’s teachers were able to effectively mobilize without warning and draw large numbers of supporters.

In 2018, Iranian teachers were among the demographics that organized extensive protests. On at least three occasions, Iran’s teachers organized rallies and public demonstrations. Each time, the regime responded with force and repression, yet it was unable to break the resolve of the country’s educators.

The protests came just a few weeks after the previous teacher protests which saw teachers organize rallies in Kermanshah, Ardebil, Alborz, and Isfahan. The teachers were protesting the same appalling working conditions and demanded the release of Mohammad Ali Zahmatkesh, a teachers rights activist in Shiraz sentenced to two years in prison for “insulting the Founder of the Islamic Republic.”

Iran’s teachers are among the most ardent opposition to the Iranian regime and their numbers are increasingly participating in the Iranian opposition movement, the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). The MEK and Iran’s teachers share a united vision: both want a brighter future filled with more opportunities, increased stability, and more civil freedoms for future Iranian generations.

Staff Writer

February marks the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and the Iranian regime is using the occasion to celebrate the fact that it has managed to hold onto power: a lukewarm achievement at best.

Iranian women felt the sting of oppression under the mullahs’ rule immediately and have suffered daily for the last forty years. It is hard to understate how drastically life changed for women in Iran after 1979 and how deeply this has altered Iranian society.

Second-class Citizens

The regime’s misogynistic views toward women are documented well before the 1979 Revolution. In 1962, Ruhollah Khomeini previous regime Supreme Leader wrote a letter to the Shah of Iran, conferring his extremist views under the banner of Islam, saying that the “interests of the state are better served by preserving the religious teachings of Islam and calmness of the heart.” He advised that women should no longer be allowed to vote.

#Iranian women are fighting stronger than ever and paying the highest price in the struggle for #humanrights #justice #freedom #democracy #workersrights #childrights #environmental justice #womensrights #separationofchurchandstate & more! #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/2T6Y8lzg5T

— NCRIWomen'sCommittee (@womenncri) February 13, 2019

After the Shah’s monarchical dictatorship was overthrown in the 1979 Revolution, Khomeini seized control of the country and established the clerical regime that is still in place in Iran. Shortly after the Revolution, Khomeini abolished the Family Protection Law, which gave women family rights. Soon afterward, female judges were banned from working in the judiciary, and social services for women were canceled.

 

Almost overnight the women of Iran were relegated to the status of second-class citizens, and over the past forty years, their treatment has worsened under the mullahs’ rule. Under regime law, Iranian women must comply with mandatory hijab, a dress code that includes strict standards for modest dress and veiling. The regime has cracked down on its enforcement of hijab over the years, and women who are found to be out of compliance may be beaten in the street.

 

In 2014, a number of Iranian women were the victims of acid attacks and stabbings. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) Women’s Committee, these attacks were carried out by gangs backed by the Iranian regime.

For 40 years, Islamic fundamentalism in #Iran has placed enmity with women at the core of its crimes, intimidating the entire Iranian society through the repression of women. https://t.co/JEAf8NtPWM

— NCRIWomen'sCommittee (@womenncri) February 15, 2019

An estimated 87 women have been executed since current regime President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013. In the summer of 1988, tens of thousands of women were executed during the 1988 Massacre of  political prisoners, mainly MEK members. These women, who included elderly women, pregnant women, and teenagers, were executed for exercising their freedom of expression.

Advocating for Women’s Rights in Iran

 

The NCRI’s Women’s Committee partners with women’s rights organizations across the world to draw attention to the plight of Iranian women and to advocate for equal rights in Iran.

 

The NCRI, the democratic alternative to the ruling regime, offers hope to the people of Iran who want to live outside of the shackles of the oppressive theocracy. The NCRI and its leader, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, will not allow women to be treated as second-class citizens in a free Iran. This commitment is spelled out in Mrs. Rajavi’s ten-point plan for the future of Iran, which guarantees gender equality and equal representation in government.

Tomorrow's #Iran: 10 point plan for a #freeIran presented by @Maryam_Rajavi
In light of recent events in the aftermath of #IranProtests, many are wondering what would Iran after the mullahs look like?
4 more information on the NCRI & its viewpoints visit: https://t.co/bRdGSul2Gx pic.twitter.com/zDR1OC5l6b

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 26, 2018

Women in Iran, says Mrs. Rajavi, are “paying the price for freedom and turn the page of history in their homeland.” The women who are protesting on the streets of Iran today are ensuring that their daughters and granddaughters can live as equals alongside their sons and grandsons.

 

The NCRI’s Women’s Committee supports the people of Iran in their protests against forced marriages of girls and violence against women. This is not a fight for just the women of Iran. Men are part of the protests for equality, and international activists have taken up the cause of equality for Iranian women.

 

Khomeini said that equality between women and men is “in fundamental violation of some of the most crucial rulings of Islam and in defiance of some of the explicit commandments of the Quran.” The MEK believes that this is a false and misogynistic representation of Islam.

 

Despite forty years of oppression, the women of Iran refuse to be silenced. Society benefits when strong women are free to raise their voices. The women of Iran will no longer wait for permission to do so.

Staff Writer

Javad Zarif, the Iranian regime foreign minister, has drawn criticism from Iranians over comments he made about Iranian meddling in foreign conflicts across the Middle East.

Speaking at the regime’s Foreign Policy Meeting, while he referred to regime backed terrorism as “resistance”, he said: “We are proud of the resistance of Syria[Assad’s dictatorship], Lebanon [Hezbollah], Iraq [Quds force], etc.”

The comments prompted a backlash on social media. Voria Ghafouri, a soccer player at Esteghlal, in the Persian Gulf Pro League, responded with an Instagram post in which he criticized the regime’s foreign minister, “you are not the one who’s under pressure. The people are under pressure. The nation’s wealth is not your inheritance to give out as you please.” said Ghafouri’s post at Instagram.

He added, “if you’re man enough, speak your rubbish among the people so you get your answer!” The Iranian regime has been under intense domestic pressure in the form of national protests among Iranians. The protestors are expressing their fury over the mullahs’ economic mismanagement and financing of foreign militia and terror groups which has left the Iranian economy in turmoil.

Enough is Enough

The Iranian people have made their feeling clear. At recent protests, Iranians chanted “leave Syria alone, think of us”, etc.

The foreign minister is renowned for making inflammatory, controversial, and false statements. He recently compared Iranian democracy to that of France’s, asserted the regime did not want war and claimed that there were no political prisoners in regime custody, claims that if they weren’t so damaging would be laughable.

A Steady Stream of Lies and Misinformation

Zarif has also deliberately sewn confusion and muddied the waters surrounding who exactly is repressed and who are the oppressors. Following the Warsaw conference, which saw more than 60 countries agree to impose increased pressure on Iran, Zarif took to social media to paint the Iranian regime as a victim, not perpetrator, of international terrorism. It also referred to MEK’s rally in Warsaw in a bid to discredit the opposition:

“It is no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that Warsaw circus begins?” he wrote, “especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with Twitter bots?” Zarif’s tweet raised an immediate response from the Polish Minsitery of Foreign Affairs, rejecting his labeling against the main opposition:

.@JZarif Poland condemns terrorism in all its forms. The reaction to the attack on Khash-Zahedan road in Iran cannot be different. “No” to violence.

No terrorists are present in Warsaw today. There is democracy, freedom
of expression and solidarity.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇵🇱 (@PolandMFA) February 13, 2019

In other posts, Zarif attempts to pass Iranian involvement in Syria off as aiding the peace process. “As Iran, Russia & Turkey ready a summit in Sochi to work for peace in Syria & UN Court rejects US excuses & readies to rule on US theft of Iranian people’s assets, flip-flopping Trump officials try to hide their perpetual lawlessness & global isolation behind a charade in Warsaw,” he Tweeted.

Staff Writer

 

On Thursday, February 14th, a large group of Iranians gathered in Poland’s capital city for the second day outside of the Warsaw Conference. The protesters were supporters of the MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) who were rallying in solidarity with the Iranian people and their call for an overthrow of the oppressive clerical regime currently in power and the democratic alternative proposed under the leadership of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI.

Chants of "Regime Change" on day 2 of MEK's #FreeIran rally outside #WarsawSummit. Protesters vow to overthrow mullahs' regime, say #Iran's ppl reject both monarchy & mullahs' rule. #FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi@PolandMFA @SecPompeo @VP @USAdarFarsi @USAmbPoland @USEmbassyWarsaw pic.twitter.com/PaUEj7VVzL

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 14, 2019

Protesters at the rally on Thursday chanted, “Appeasement no; regime change yes!” and “Regime change!” Photographs of the crowd chanting and holding posters with photographs of NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi were posted on social media. A video posted on Twitter shows a group of protesters held a large banner reading, “Call on Warsaw Summit: Expel the Mullahs’ Illegitimate Regime and Recognize the NCRI as the Representative of the Iranian People.”

The Future of Middle Eastern Policy

The two-day rally coincided with the Warsaw Conference, which was jointly hosted by the United States and Poland, in order to discuss the future of Middle Eastern policy. The conference, which drew high-ranking policy-makers from dozens of countries, was mainly focused on Iran and its role in creating instability in the region.

The NCRI and MEK hoped that their rally would draw attention to the nationwide anti-regime protests that have taken place over the past year in Iran and the clear will of the Iranian people to replace the mullahs and their brutal theocracy with a free Iran.

How to Make Iran “Act Like a Normal Country”

 

When announcing the conference, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that one of the primary goals of the event was to find a way to make Iran “act like a normal country.” After forty years, it is clear that the Iranian regime will never act like a normal country. The policy of appeasement has failed. The people of Iran are asking the international community to recognize the forty years of human rights abuses that the Iranian regime has inflicted upon its own people and to support the people’s right to overthrow the ruling regime and replace it with a peaceful and democratic Iran.

Wednesday’s Rally

 

The NCRI and MEK held another rally on Wednesday as the Warsaw Conference began. Wednesday’s rally included speeches from a number of well-known politicians from the United States and Europe, as well as representatives of the Iranian communities. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Algerian Prime Minister Sid Ahmed Ghozali, former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, and several Polish MPs and Senators were among the distinguished speakers at Wednesday’s rally.

#MEK supporters march on the streets of Warsaw in solidarity with the regime change protests in #Iran. They urge the #WarsawSummit to recognize right of Iran's ppl to overthrow mullahs & establish a free republic.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi@USAdarFarsi @SecPompeo @VP @USAmbPoland pic.twitter.com/u4DHwWJBQD

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

The protesters at Wednesday’s and Thursday’s rallies voiced their support for Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point plan for a free and democratic Iran after the fall of the mullahs’ regime. Her plan includes gender equality, separation of religion and State, and a non-nuclear Iran. The rally on Wednesday was preceded by a brief press conference.

Staff Writer

On Wednesday, the MEK supporters held a rally in Warsaw condemning the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses towards its own people and standing in solidarity with the Iranian people by calling for the international community to recognize the people’s right to overthrow the oppressive theocratic regime currently in power.

MEK Holds Rally in Warsaw to Mark Four Decades of Regime Atrocities Prior to Warsaw Summit

The rally was planned to coincide with the beginning of the Warsaw Conference, which is taking place February 13-14. The primary focus of the international gathering of political leaders is to discuss Iran’s role in the future of Middle Eastern policy. The Iranian Resistance would like to make it clear that the old policy of appeasement has not been effective in containing the Iranian regime’s threat and the mullahs’ regime is past reform. The NCRI, led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, offers a 10-point plan for Iran’s future, including separation of religion and State, gender equality, and a non-nuclear Iran.

#MEK supporters march on the streets of Warsaw in solidarity with the regime change protests in #Iran. They urge the #WarsawSummit to recognize right of Iran's ppl to overthrow mullahs & establish a free republic.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi@USAdarFarsi @SecPompeo @VP @USAmbPoland pic.twitter.com/u4DHwWJBQD

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

A variety of highly-respected dignitaries, politicians, and representatives of the Iranian community gave speeches at the event, and then a large crowd of demonstrators marched on the streets of Warsaw, chanting, “Appeasement, no; regime change, yes!”

The Speakers

The following are some highlights from Wednesday’s speakers:

Rudy Giuliani, Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor: “Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. We should not be doing business with a regime that supports terror. The Warsaw Summit should be focused on how we change Iran. How do we change their behavior against their people. The last two Free Iran conferences I attended, the regime tried to bomb them; the last one was in Paris.

.@RudyGiuliani: We have seen regime change work & fail. In #Iran's case we don’t have to worry. There is a viable alternative. Maryam Rajavi's 10-point plan stands for a #FreeIran w/ a democratically-elected Gov instead of a tyrant/monarch.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi #WarsawSummit pic.twitter.com/EFJHIw2WUV

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

“The Iranian people have a right to freedom and democracy. They have a right to be free. We will soon achieve the dream of seeing Maryam Rajavi in a free Iran. We have the answer to who will be the alternative to the regime. Maryam Rajavi has laid out a ten-point program which we should support.”

Zbigniew Cichoń, Polish Senator from the PIS party: “Thousands of Iranians are in jail for demanding their rights. Even the lawyers who defend them end up in jail. All Poles are in solidarity with you.”

Marcin Święcicki, Member of the Polish Parliament, former Mayor of Warsaw, and a former Minister for Foreign Economic Relations: “The NCRI movement has a ten-point plan which among other things calls for abolishing the death penalty. We want to see the establishment of peace and democracy in Iran.

Mr Marcin Swiecicki, MP, former mayor of Warsaw: We had to fight for a long time for Poland to enjoy independence, democracy and human rights, where as in #Iran the fight is still ongoing.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi#IStandWithMaryamRajavi#WarsawSummit @USADarFarsi @SecPompeo pic.twitter.com/uEEzqLfy7Q

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

Ryszard Majer, Polish Senator and Vice President of the Foreign Affairs Committee from the PIS party: “We respect freedom and solidarity. Are those values important to you? Yes, every nation needs freedom and solidarity, freedom to decide for themselves. Also in Iran freedom for Iranian people is necessary for the entire world.

Mr Ryszard Majer: Freedom, solidarity and respect are important for all of us. I have met people who believe respect for life, freedom & solidarity are not merely empty words. #FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi#IStandWithMaryamRajavi#WarsawSummit#FreeIran@USADarFarsi @SecPompeo pic.twitter.com/QpMin1ooyD

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

“As a Pole, I understand this. For many years there was no freedom of assembly, no freedom of speech, for all of those who wished for change. Today I admire all of the efforts of Maryam Rajavi who works for solidarity and well-being in Iran.”

13:00: Robert Torricelli, former United States Senator (D): “We have tried to negotiate with Tehran. There have been negotiations with Tehran for 40 years. But they answered with terrorism. The lives of the thousands of martyrs laying in their graves are a testimony that this regime it not negotiable.”

.@bobtorricelli: Thousands of Iranians who at the risk of their lives have taken to the streets of #Iran, they are your choice, thousands of ppl of the diaspora across Europe and America, they are a choice, the NCRI is a choice, Mrs. Rajavi is a choice. #FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/7xICR8DSMH

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

“A government that murders its opponents, cannot be trusted to respect the nuclear agreement. a murderous regime cannot be a trustable regime.”

“Those nations who believe we have no other choice than to accommodate Iran, we say to them: We are the choice! The democratic alternative. The thousands and thousands of Iranians who have risked their lives in the streets of Iran, they are the choice. The NCRI is the choice, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi is the choice.”

13:05: Zbigniew Cichoń, member of the Polish Senate from the PIS party: “As a nation, you have a right to fight. This is a dream that will soon become true. It will become true because our dream in Poland became true.”

Zbigniew Chichon:
The regime has executed so many people that questions its legitimity
I hope your dream of freedom will come true soon. Long live free and happy Iranians.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi#PolandSummit#IStandWithMaryamRajavi#WarsawSummit#FreeIran@USADarFarsi pic.twitter.com/CewURHwP0Q

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

“I believe very soon Iran will become a free state, a state of rule of law, not the rule of a few individuals against the people.”

13:10: Sid Ahmed Ghozali, former Prime Minister of Algeria: “The MEK is the only force capable of freeing Iran. If we love peace and stability in this region, we need to eliminate the threat of Iran’s regime. And in order to do that, the only option is to support the Iranian Resistance led by Maryam Rajavi. I hope and pray to God that next year we can hold this meeting in Tehran.”

Sid Ahmed Ghozali – Former Prime Minister of Algeria
It is a privilege for me to be here with you my Iranian friends who are in the resistance & who have sacrificed 10s of thousands in the path 4 freedom.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi#WarsawSummit#FreeIranRally @USADarFarsi pic.twitter.com/kMBMleiU9y

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

Javad Dabiran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI): “Forty years after the downfall of the Shah’s dictatorship, it is time for the overthrow of the mullahs. This regime has brought nothing but misery and corruption and death and killings. So, it is time they go. They have only faced one strong opposition, that of the MEK (PMOI).”

@JavadDabiran: 40 years ago, Iranian people’s uprising resulted in fall of Shah’s regime. At that time people wanted freedom and democracy. Today, these are still the aspirations of the people#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi#PolandSummit#IStandWithMaryamRajavi#FreeIran@USADarFarsi pic.twitter.com/T4UWFBckPW

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

Malieh Malek Mohammadi, a representative of the Iranian communities in Europe: “It’s the era of uprisings and of the overthrow of the mullahs. This opposition, the MEK, has more than forty years of experience. Time has come for payback for the dictators in Iran. Democracy and freedom will come to Iran.”

Matin Doustmohammadi, a representative of the Iranian youth associations in Europe: “We had 40 years of repression. But I am proud that in these 40 years, the MEK and their supporters continued their Resistance. I salute the MEK’s “Resistance Units” inside Iran that are leading all the protests.
“The regime is not paying any price for its crimes. If the Western government want to respect their own laws, they should arrest the regime’s agents and put the IRGC on the blacklist and expel the diplomat-terrorists of this regime.”

 Homayoun Sim-Laqaee, a representative of the Iranian communities in Europe: “The fake ‘alternatives’ to the regime that have been formed by the Iranian intelligence ministry only aim to discredit the MEK, but they will not lead anywhere.

“The time has come for the downfall of the mullahs with the leadership of Mr. Massoud Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance.”

Staff Writer

 

 

On February 13, 2019, the Iranian opposition came together with communities in Europe and held a rally in Warsaw in solidarity with the Iranian people of Iran.

Simultaneous to #WarsawSummit, join us to be their voice against the #Iran regime's egregious human rights violations & an upsurge in its terrorist acts on European Soil.
Feb.13, 2019, starting at 12:30 pm (GMT+1)#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavihttps://t.co/4zXvdEyfIo

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

The event marked four decades since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 that ousted the Shah and brought Khomeini to power. Under the mullahs and Khomeini, the Iranian state derided religious plurality, shunned secularism, and abandoned any commitment to upholding human rights.

Instead, the Iranian state embraced repression, violence, torture, capital punishment, terrorism and war.

A Regime on the Brink of Collapse

Now, forty years later, the regime is creaking under the same weight that ousted the Iranian monarchy; the will and determination of the Iranian people.

In 2018, a wave of popular protests swept across Iran, igniting unrest in all 31 of Iran’s provinces and 142 cities, and towns. Like in 1979, these protests drew support from all walks of Iranian life, including the working classes that the clerical regime has relied on for support.

Teachers, farmers, factory workers, students, investors, pensioners, and bazaar merchants have all turned out to vent their frustrations and participate in anti-regime protests.

The driving force behind these protests has been the unrelenting determination of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). Led by president-elect Maryam Rajavi, MEK members have risked their freedom and their lives to coordinate protests, counter the mullahs’ propaganda and disinformation, and stand up for Iranian human rights both within Iran and abroad.

In a statement ahead of the Warsaw rally, Iranian Communities in Europe called the MEK a “pivotal force of the political alternative for future Iran”.

A Rally to Recognize the Iranian People’s Right to Resist

The Warsaw rally takes place ahead of the anticipated Warsaw conference, in which governments from around the globe will meet in Warsaw to discuss strategies to deal with the Iranian threat.

For Iranian Communities in Europe and the MEK, the rally in Warsaw ahead of the conference was necessary to demonstrate to the international community the importance of recognizing the Iranian people’s right to resist and overthrow the regime’s tyrannical brand of religious fascism.

#MEK supporters march on the streets of Warsaw in solidarity with the regime change protests in #Iran. They urge the #WarsawSummit to recognize right of Iran's ppl to overthrow mullahs & establish a free republic.#FreeIranWithMaryamRajavi@USAdarFarsi @SecPompeo @VP @USAmbPoland pic.twitter.com/u4DHwWJBQD

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

The statement from rally organizers read, “it is time to put an end to four decades of political and social repression, massacres, plunder of Iran’s wealth by the regime’s cronies, and misery and war forced upon the region by this regime.”

“We call on the West to impose sanctions on the regime and include the Iranian regime’s IRGC and MOIS and perpetrators of crimes against the Iranian people on the EU terror list.”

The statement concluded, “It’s time for European countries to align their voices with the voice of the Iranian people and resistance, and to end the nightmare of four decades of the Iranian regime’s atrocities in Iran, the region and the world.”

Staff Writer

President-elect of the Iranian opposition, Maryam Rajavi, addressed the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK-PMOI)‘s rally in Warsaw and stressed the importance of recognizing the Iranian opposition movement.

Addressing her “freedom-loving compatriots,” as well as the high-profile guests in attendance, including former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani and the former Prime Minister of Algeria, Sid-Ahmad Ghozali, she told them, “the voice of the people of Iran” is “yearning for freedom and democracy.”

She continued, “the pain of our political prisoners in Khamenei’s dungeons, the sufferings of our Kurdish, Turk, Balochi and Arab compatriots, and the stifled desires and hopes of Iranian women, youths, workers, farmers, teachers, and students are resonating in your cries.”

Their demand, she said, is that the world recognizes their right to overthrow the repressive clerical regime and bring freedom to Iran.

Years of Sacrifice

The Iranian people “deserve this,” Rajavi said. “They have proven it through long years of their quest for freedom and steadfast endurance in confronting one of the world’s most oppressive and ruthless dictatorships.”

2018 saw Iranians take to the streets to protest the mullahs’ rule in numbers not seen since 1979. For their calls for democracy, many had to sacrifice their freedom or their lives, as the Iranian regime responded to dissent by locking up or even killing protestors.

An End to Appeasement

Maryam Rajavi and the MEK’s demands were simple: respect the Iranian people’s struggle against oppression and discrimination.

The west has long emboldened the regime through its policies of appeasement and pandering to the mullahs. Maryam Rajavi asked, “why they [the West] have recognized a regime in Iran which has invaded and occupied the country, which rules by torture and execution, which plunders Iran’s assets and spends the Iranian people’s wealth on terrorist groups to slaughter the peoples of the region.”

The question is why have they recognized a regime which has invaded and occupied #Iran, which rules by torture and execution, which plunders Iran’s assets and spends the Iranian people’s wealth on terrorist groups to slaughter the peoples of the region.#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/28A9xJp45e

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 13, 2019

Rajavi acknowledged the progress coming from the Trump administration, which has re-imposed economic sanctions and withdrawn from the JCPOA. She also acknowledged the gesture from the EU following the uncovering of Iranian terror attacks on European soil. The EU has imposed sanctions on a branch of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS). However, she added that the efforts did not go far enough.

Europe’s Sanctions Are Welcome, Now A Change In Policies Is Required.

“They must stand up more decisively to this regime,” she said, adding “the mullahs must not have a single bullet, a single dollar or a single barrel of oil at their disposal.”

Maryam Rajavi called for the inclusion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on European and US terrorist blacklists. “The IRGC is in command of the regime’s terrorist mercenary groups and their disastrous bloodletting in the region,” she said.

The policy of blacklisting the Iranian regime’s criminal institutions and figureheads will be effective only when the IRGC is placed on the terror lists of the U.S. and the European Union as a whole entity. #Iran#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/sE66uF98ge

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 13, 2019

The IRGC is behind many of the most destructive elements of the regime, including the missile program, nuclear weapons activities, and cyber-attacks. It is also in charge of arresting protestors and cracking down on political dissent in Iran and looting the country’s institutions.

“The Revolutionary Guard Corps is the backbone propping up the clerical regime,” Rajavi concluded. “So, it must be designated a terrorist force without delay.”

Investigating Human Rights Violations

In addition to the blacklisting of the IRGC, Ms. Rajavi called for the international community to refer the dossier of Iranian human rights violations to the UN Security Council. She asked those gathered in Warsaw, “why haven’t they set up any mechanism to prosecute the regime’s leaders for the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988?”

She was referring to the summer of 1988 when the Iranian regime launched a bloody crackdown on the MEK and other opposition groups. More than 30,000 political prisoners mainly MEK activists were executed in regime custody. Women were raped before heading to the gallows. Many family members of victims were not informed until after their loved one had been executed when the regime billed them for the rope used in the execution.

Rajavi concluded, “in spite of this, the people of Iran will never relent. The uprisings and protests and the activities of the courageous members of [MEK] Resistance Units in Iran will carry on.”

Once again, I declare the demands of the people of #Iran and the Iranian Resistance, as the following: #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/IISaXkqb7D

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 13, 2019

She ended her speech with the powerful sign-off, “hail to freedom. Hail to the people of Iran. Hail to all of you and your steel resolve to realize freedom.”

Staff Writer

 

On February 13 and 14, 2019, the Polish Foreign Ministry and the United States Department of State are hosting an international conference to discuss the future of Middle Eastern policy. The conference will largely focus on the threat posed by the Iranian regime to the surrounding region. High-ranking officials from several dozen countries are expected to attend the two-day event.

The Regime’s Response to the Conference

Unsurprisingly, the Iranian regime reacted to the announcement of the conference with rage and condemnation, Regime officials attempted to discredit the conference, demanded that the event be cancelled, and even made unspecified threats to “take action” against Poland for holding the conference. These efforts ultimately failed, but they provided valuable insights into the regime’s deep fear of any challenge to its authority, as well as its behavior when responding to feedback from the international community. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo initially said that the goal of the conference was to find a way to “make Iran act like a normal country,” and the mullahs’ response to the conference was another example of why this is not possible. The Iranian regime is past reform. The people of Iran are demanding a democratic alternative, and it is clear that the delegates at the Warsaw Conference should listen to their voices when determining future policy toward the Iranian regime.

NCRI/MEK Rally

On February 13th, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally prior to the beginning of the conference in Warsaw. The rally’s purpose is to draw attention to the Iranian people’s desire for regime change and to show their support for the NCRI and its leader, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, as the democratic alternative to the theocratic regime. The most recent NCRI rally, held in Paris last week, drew thousands of Iranians.

Those attending and speaking at the rally will call upon the delegates at the Warsaw Conference to condemn the Iranian regime for its forty years of human rights abuses toward its own people, blacklist Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agents in order to combat their efforts to conduct terrorist plots on foreign soil, adopt a firm policy toward the Iranian regime, and affirm the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the theocratic regime currently in power.

Live Reports: #MEK's #FreeIranRally Outside the #WarsawSummithttps://t.co/CLkcNDZxmr pic.twitter.com/4zSfaQBSZI

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 13, 2019

The attendees will also declare their support for Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point plan for a peaceful transition to a free and democratic Iran. Mrs. Rajavi’s plan includes a structured time frame for democratic elections to form a new government to represent the Iranian people after the fall of the clerical regime. The MEK and NCRI, led by Mrs. Rajavi, want to replace the oppressive regime with a democracy with a clear separation of religion and state, equal rights and representation for women and religious and ethnic minorities, an end to the death penalty, and an immediate cessation of all nuclear activities.

Notable participants in the rally will include Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Algerian Prime Minister Sid Ahmed Ghozali, former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli and several Polish Members of Parliament and the Senate. The speakers will hold a brief press briefing before the rally begins.

Staff Writer

 

A senior cleric within the Iranian regime has confirmed that the Iranian regime has “the formula for creating a nuclear bomb.” Ahmad Khatami told a crowd gathered in Mashhad for the morning ceremony that although “Iran never had the intention to build an atomic bomb,” it has the necessary knowledge to do so.

Khatami, Tehran’s Friday Prayer leader, added that the Islamic Republic does “not want to use weapons of mass destruction.”

#Iran: Top Cleric Says Regime Has the Formula to Create a Nuke
A high ranking cleric in Iran has said that the mullah’s regime “has the formula for building a nuclear bomb”.https://t.co/O5ttsdecCR pic.twitter.com/KbJYuC1ACO

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 11, 2019

Confirmed Beliefs

Previous research carried out by the Iranian opposition, namely the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) revealed that the regime has developed the capabilities of enriching Uranium to 20%. It is, therefore, not inconceivable that the regime would be able to expand this process to increase enrichment to 90%.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) echoed these findings. Yukiya Amano revealed in 2017 that the Iranian regime had dedicated resources to the development of nuclear weapons between 2003 and 2009.

The Iranian nuclear deal negotiated under President Obama made the cessation of Iran’s nuclear development a precondition of the agreement. However, the MEK and the Iranian opposition has frequently raised concerns over the regime’s compliance, a sentiment echoed by US President Donald Trump.

Deception by Ali Akbar Salehi:#Iran-ian regime's chief of AtomicAgency admits that they had concealed parts of the banned nuclear equipment by not declaring the spare tubes when agreed to cement the existing tubes,under the supervision of Ali Khamenei.#IranDeal #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/eyOErKJwOd

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 30, 2019

In 2003, the Iranian opposition revealed the full extent of Iran’s nuclear program. Given the level of commitment and determination the regime displayed towards its nuclear ambitions, it is inconceivable that it would simply end its nuclear program once the JCPOA was negotiated.

Curbing Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

Khatami has previously spoken out about US and European attempts to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In February, he noted that the US had curtailed the regime’s nuclear development and forced it to rely on its missiles instead.

He said, “America’s mischief decreased Iran’s nuclear power. The JCPOA ended. Our missile capability is what protects us in these conditions. If they take away our missile capabilities, the day will turn into the night for the nation of Iran.”

Following President Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the US re-imposed strict economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic. These have further constricted the regime’s already spiraling economy, which is driving anti-regime protests across Iran. Khatami has previously admitted that the US sanctions are fuelling civic unrest in Iran and boosting the opposition movement.

After decades of corruption and misspending Iran’s finances on missile development, proxy wars in the region, and international terror activities, it’s time for the European Union to take a firm position in its policies towards Iran, and condition any trades with the regime to a halt on its missile program and an end to the terror and executions at home and abroad.

Staff Writer