On December 19, 2019, the European Parliament passed a “resolution on the violent crackdown on the recent protests in Iran”. The resolution was passed with a strong 566 votes. Only 4 voted against the resolution.

Members of the European Parliament will vote on a resolution later this week condemning the brutal crackdown of Iran protests.

MEPs will debate the draft resolution on this Wednesday and hold a vote on Thursday in Strasbourg, France.

Following the brutal crackdown of the recent uprising by the religious fascist regime in Iran, Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI), an informal intergroup in the European Parliament, released an urgent statement in November 2019. Members of the European Parliament called to end the brutal crackdown on protesters in Iran with hundreds killed, thousands wounded and thousands more arrested.

A new book was released on Wednesday detailing some of the Iranian regime’s violations of human rights. The book entitled “Crime Against Humanity” lists the names of more than 5,000 people that were killed by the Iranian regime during the 1988 massacre in which 30,000 political prisoners, mainly the MEK members and supporters, that has been widely described as a crime against humanity.

During the 1988 massacre, so-called “death commissions” were set up across the country to carry out the orders of the Supreme Leader at that time. Ayatollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa ordering the execution of political prisoners in Iran.

During the massacre, more than 30,000 political prisoners were killed; many of them members or supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK. Prisoners were executed in large groups and their bodies were dumped in mass and unmarked graves. Families of the victims, to this day, do not know where the remains of their loved ones lie.

On 23 October, during a conference at the European Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg, many MEPs attended to speak about the Iranian regime, its belligerence, its human rights violations and how the European Union should be dealing with these issues.

On Wednesday 23, 2019, several Members of the European Parliament and other dignitaries from across the continent, attended a conference in Strasbourg to urge the European Union to take a strong approach regarding the Iranian regime’s human rights violations and warmongering.

The speakers at the event, organized by the European Parliament Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup, also called for the Iranian regime to be held to account for the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members and supporters of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI, Mujahedin-e Khalq or MEK).

Polish MEP Anna Fotyga, who chaired the conference, said:

“All of us are aware of the situation in Iran. We’ve been monitoring it for many years. We’re in touch with the members of the Iranian opposition and learn about the fate of the people who fight for freedom, for human rights and for the prosperity of their country.”

Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), also spoke at the conference to  remind us that for too long the West has “closed their eyes” to the horrible crime that was the 1988 massacre and that this lack of accountability has only emboldened the mullahs.

The EU must condition every trade and tie with the Iranian regime on end to executions and torture in #Iran. #1988Massacre #NoImpunity4Mullahs #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/X4SC45Efz2

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 23, 2019

She said: “The only answer to a regime that has deliberately foiled the initiatives of Europe, particularly of France, is a firm policy which obliges Europe to support the Iranian people’s resistance to establish democracy and popular sovereignty.”

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former European Parliament Vice President, also spoke out about the policy of appeasement, noting that while the mullahs benefited, the Iranian people suffered and the MEK was wrongfully placed on Western blacklists or assassinated by the Regime with impunity.

He said: “Today, the situation is different. More people have started to see the cruel nature of this theocracy… European governments need to realize the only effective policy against the Iranian regime is to deal with it for what it is: a mortal enemy that we cannot neutralize.”

Rama Yade, former French Human Rights Minister, called for an independent inquiry into the 1988 massacre and condemned the policy of appeasement for essentially giving a blank cheque to the mullahs.

She said: “We must do more. We owe it to this great nation and people. We must support the desire of the Iranian people for regime change and the establishment of a secular government based on the separation of church and state, and gender equality.”

Former MEP Struan Stevenson, the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change, also argued for an end to the appeasement policy, advising that those who took part in the 1988 massacre still hold high-ranking positions in the Iranian regime, including current Justice Minister Alireza Avaei.

Struan Stevenson in the Conference in #European Parliament
We need a new policy on #Iran and an end to the appeasement. This is a regime that boasts about its missiles and is racing to build nuclear weapons.#NoImpunity4Mullahs #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/8qATci680M

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) October 23, 2019

He also highlighted the regime’s expansionism, including support for “Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and the brutal Shiite militias in Iraq”,  and their race to build nuclear weapons as reasons why a new policy is needed.

He said: “Iran is also one of the most pro-western countries in the region. But they are ruled by corrupt mullahs who only want to further enhance their own lavish lifestyles. The people are sick of a regime that has bankrupted their country. Europe must show that we support the Iranian people and the MEK and NCRI. We must show support for Maryam Rajavi and her ten-point plan.”

Other speakers included:

• Petri Sarvamaa, Finnish MEP from the EPP Group, Vice-Coordinator of the Budgetary Control Committee, Full Member of the AGRI Committee
• Milan Zver, MEP from Slovenia.
• Ryszard Czarnecki, MEP from Poland
• Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, MEP from the Canary Islands (Spain)
• Jan Zahradil, MEP from the Czech Republic
• Radka Maxová, MEP from the Czech Republic
• Stanislav Polčák, MEP from the Czech Republic
• Ruza Tomasic, Croatian MEP from the ECR Group
• Patrizia Toia, Italian MEP from the Democratic Party
• Anthea McIntyre, British Conservative MEP for the West Midlands
• Ingrid Betancourt, former Columbian presidential candidate
• Franc Bogovič, MEP from Slovenia
• Alessandra Moretti, MEP from Italy
• Gianna Gancia, MEP from Italy
• Petras Auštrevičius, MEP from Lithuania
• Assita Kanko, MEP from Belgium

To read their comments, please click here.

European Lawmakers Voice Support for Iranian Uprising

197 European lawmakers signed a statement on Monday, March 20^th,2018, in support of the Iranian people’s uprising for democratic change. The signatories come from across the political spectrum, with members of all political groups in the European Parliament represented. Several Vice-Presidents of the parliament and Committee and Delegation Chairs were among the signers.

 

The statement comes as a response to the nationwide uprising in Iran, which began on December 28, 2017 and lasted for almost two weeks before being suppressed by the ruling regime. The people of Iran, particularly the nation’s young people, demonstrated in favor of regime change, chanting “Down with the dictator!” “Down with Khamenei!” and “Down with Rouhani!”

 

Thousands of demonstrators calling for a free and democratic Iran and an end to fundamentalist rule were arrested. 14 protesters have since died after being tortured, leading Amnesty International to call for an investigation into the deaths of those in custody.

 

Many of the leaders and officials within the regime have talked about the role MEK, has played in organizing the protests and fomenting dissent against the ruling regime. The AFP reported that on January 2, Rhouhani asked French President Emmanuel Macron to take action against the Iranian opposition, which is based in Paris, accusing them of causing the protests. On January 9, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, said that the MEK has organized the uprising and implicitly threatened to execute the protesters. A judiciary official called for the execution of demonstrators, saying that they are “waging war against God.”

 

The statement released today condemns the use of force against demonstrators and calls on the European Union to create measures to compel the regime to release prisoners who were arrested in the uprising, “uphold freedom of expression and association,” and end the repression of women, particularly the compulsory Hijab. It also calls on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate Iran’s prisons and political prisoners, focusing in particular on those arrested during the recent uprising and those who died in detention.

 

The statement is critical of the European Union for its silence toward human rights violations in Iran and urges the EU to take decisive action. The statement is being released on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Staff writer

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