The 5-day Free Iran Conference at Ashraf 3, The main compound of the MEK’s members in Albania featured a presentation from the Mayor of Paris’s First District, as well as delegations from Italy, Norway, and the military. Numerous human rights and women’s rights activists also delivered speeches, along with other notable dignitaries.

 

The following are some highlights from speakers:

Michèle de Vaucouleurs

French MP

“The regime has destroyed all that you have owned in Iraq (referring to multiple deadly attacks to Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty by Iranian proxy forces trying to annihilate MEK, the principal opposition to the dictatorship ruling Iran). You have revived and you keep fighting for a democratic Iran against the mullahs. Your battle is not in vain and I know one day you will be hosting me in a free Iran,” said Ms. de Vaucouleurs.

 

French MP Michèle de Vaucouleurs at #MEK “#FreeIran” conference in Ashraf 3:
“I know one day you will be hosting me in a free #Iran“#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/Hpelocm6PH

— Iran Freedom-En (@4freedominiran2) July 13, 2019

“The French people consider you brothers and sisters. Article 2 of the human rights declaration says that the aim of any political group is human rights and that includes the right to resist oppression,” she concluded.

Jean-François Legaret

Mayor of Paris’s 1st District

Mayor Legaret presented a declaration to Ashraf 3, declaring his municipality and Ashraf 3 sister cities. “We have decided to declare Ashraf 3 a city of international dialogue and a sister city of the 1st Arrondissement of Paris. We want to sign a declaration with the mayor of Ashraf 3,” Mayor Legaret said upon presenting the declaration. “We promise to keep a dialogue between our municipalities and Ashraf 3. I’m happy with all my colleagues to give you this declaration.”

France’s @JF_Legaret just announced that Paris’s 1st District @Mairiedu1 has officially declared Ashraf 3 (home of Iran’s democratic opposition MEK in Albania) as its sister city. He handed over proclamation to the MEK’s officials.#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/96TNDqEF37

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

Antonio Tasso

Italian MP

“Iranian brothers and sisters, it is our honor to participate in this meeting to celebrate the freedom of speech and thought,” said Tasso.

Roberto Rampi

Italian Senator

“Your dream is guided by President Maryam Rajavi. I had the honor to meet President Rajavi at the meeting last year and I admire her charisma and Ten-point Plan for a Free Iran,” said Rampi.

Italian MP Giuseppina Occhionero at #MEK “#FreeIran” conference in Ashraf 3:
"Your martyrs sacrificed their lives for freedom for #Iran"
She added:
“We cannot have appeasement with such a bloodthirsty regime. We must investigate the #Iranian regime’s #HumanRightsViolations…" pic.twitter.com/TQvj4Ko77N

— Iran Freedom-En (@4freedominiran2) July 13, 2019

Giuseppina Occhionero

Italian MP

“Your martyrs sacrificed their lives in order to achieve freedom for Iran. We cannot have appeasement with such a bloodthirsty regime. We must investigate the Iranian regime’s human rights violations,” said Occhionero.

Marc Ginsburg

Former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco

“I worked for Senator Edward Kennedy who taught me that the challenge of helping the people who fight for freedom is a lifetime goal,” said Ambassador Ginsburg. “We believe that we can help you to achieve what you wish to achieve,” he added.

Dr. Salman Al-Ansari

Founder and President of the Washington D.C.-based Saudi-American Public Relation Affairs Committee

“My message for the rotten Khamenei: We know that you are trying to destroy the will of your people and you hide behind the injustice you do by killing and torturing people. But at the end of the day, the ruling mullahs in Iran will be overthrown,” said Dr. Al-Ansari.

"We will see soon that @Maryam_Rajavi goes to Tehran and calls for the peace that she struggled so much for." – Dr. Salman, Al-Ansari and Saudi Arabia #FreeIran #Iran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #sp @4FreedominIran https://t.co/vLf43UpUdG

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 29, 2019

Eduard Lintner

Former German Deputy Interior Minister

“Last year, an Iranian diplomat was arrested in Germany because he wanted to bomb a great event by the Iranian Resistance in Paris in which I personally participated,” Lintner said, referring to last year’s attempted bombing of the Free Iran Rally in Paris. “We should not allow the mullahs to keep us hostage and impede and hinder us in your steps forward.”

"Your movement, under the leadership of Madame @Maryam_Rajavi is a democratic alternative to the mullah regime." – Eduard Lintner #FreeIran #Iran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #sp @4FreedominIran https://t.co/BTuO4Oxfff

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 30, 2019

“Ladies and gentlemen, you are the ones who continuously fight for a free Iran and Europe must support you. Only in this way can we achieve peace in the world,” said Lintner.

Martin Patzelt

German MP

“To my government: We are not allowed to step back and pretend we are blind for the sake of economic interests. We need to support these people who are showing us what is going on,” said Patzelt.

German MP Martin Patzelt: I urge Germany’s government: not to step back & turn a blind eye on what’s happening in Iran for economic interests. We need to support who picture the reality of Iran for us.#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/nJtKXgNItk

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 13, 2019

“To the Iranian regime: Don’t think that you will win. I was raised in Eastern Germany, and I have seen when the people want something, they will prevail. This is the experience of my life and I hope we will achieve this together,” he added.

 

Staff Writer

 

 

Recent changes in the White House caused many reactions with different attitudes. Some still seeking appeasement policy toward Iranian regime took the advantage of this event to show their opposition to a firm policy vis-à-vis the world’s most active state sponsor of terror, religious fascism ruling Iran, and attacking the democratic opposition, National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) to justify their support for the terrorist regime of Iran.

Jason Rezaian, a well-known advocator of an appeasement policy, in his Sep 10 Global Opinions column in Washington Post wrote: “The shake-up creates the first real opportunity for Trump to pursue a policy of engaging Iran.”

Mr. Shahin Gobadi, the MEK Press Spokesman in Paris, in an article entitled: “Misplaced and Premature jubilation by an apologist of the murderous mullahs of Iran” discusses this issue.

He challenges the Rezaian’s allegation about MEK and its popularity in Iran writing:

” How does Rezaian know of the true level of support that the MEK enjoys inside Iran under a totalitarian state? What is his measure of sufficient evidence for the MEK’s popularity in a society as complex and repressed as Iran? And how did he conclude that the MEK is reviled by Iranians in a country of over 80 million!? Who are his sources? The Iranian regime and its lobby in the west who want to insinuate that there is no viable alternative to the ruling theocracy and therefore, it must be engaged.”

” Rezaian’s absurd claim that MEK “can claim no popular support” loses muster in face of the facts on the ground. Outside Iran, where Iranians can express their views without the fear of being persecuted, tens of thousands of MEK supporters held major rallies in five major European capitals, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Stockholm, London and in Washington, DC to call for regime change. Indeed, the three-hour-long rally and march from the State Department to the White House, not only snarled traffic in the nation’s capital for several hours, but it also caught the attention of the mainstream media, save for the Post. Even the White House noticed the elaborate and well-organized rally. “What we want to do is stand with the Iranian people, thousands of whom gathered outside the White House on Friday, and tens of thousands of which, took to the streets last year in communities across Iran, we want to stand with them” Vice President Mike Pence told CBS’s Face the Nation on June 23, 2019.” Mr. Gobadi added.

The Spokesman of the MEK in Paris, argues that advocators of appeasing mullahs, including Rezaian, hardly can understand this reality that the religious dictatorial regime in Iran is in a strategic dead-end.

In conclusion, Mr. Gobadi writes: ” The era when the mullahs could forestall the crisis of being overthrown by relying on appeasement is over. The Iranian street will determine the fate the mullahs, especially since all the propaganda by the likes of Rezaian about Rouhani’s moderation has turned out to be hollow. And if past is prologue, the mullahs’ disastrous 40-year reign has proven that no amount of political and economic concessions will moderate the behavior of this regime. The troglodyte clerics only understand the language of decisiveness and “maximum pressure.”

A shorter version of Mr. Gobadi’s response to Razaian’s allegations appeared in the Washingtonpost.com on September 16.

Staff Writer

 

 

The Iranian dictatorship needs to demonstrate a hollow show of force in order to preserve its shaky balance. All dictatorships follow the same logic. Without it, their house of cards would crumble. The Shah’s regime was a good example. His tyranny did not stand a chance against the unwavering resolve of the Iranian people for change when time came for him to stop torture and executions in prisons.

Sanctions and economic chaos are driving the clerical regime to the edge but it is trying hard to give a false impression to its foreign interlocutors. Its presence in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq is an active part of this strategy. Attacking vessels and adventurism in the Strait of Hormuz is but a hollow show of force by the Iranian regime.

As another component of the regime’s same strategy at home, Ebrahim Raisi has been appointed as the Judiciary Chief. Its intention is to remind everyone that the regime is still capable of using torture and execution as initiatives for putting down any opposition to its rule.

Regime Judiciary Chief Deserves Condemnation for His Role in #1988Massacre, Says British Website https://t.co/zRDJ086WoW #Raisi #HumanRights #FreeIran #MEK @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) April 27, 2019

Back in the day, the mullahs’ regime deceived European countries and some in the U.S. with its show of “moderation” and “reform.” Those days are long gone and the regime has no power to sit at the negotiation table. Hassan Rouhani said: “When you are negotiating from a weak position, you have to give up something,” and he added that it would start a downward spiral.

Soon after the bubbles begin to burst, a new round of protests and demonstration will follow. The ruling clerics know full well that they are not able to put down new uprisings in cities since the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) units are ready to act. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said in an interview with Fox News:

“Today, the ruling mullahs fear the role of the Mujahedeen e-Khalq, (MEK), and resistance units in leading and continuing the uprisings. At the same time, the regime is surrounded politically and internationally and in economic terms, it is on the verge of collapse.”

There are those in the U.S. and Europe that for economic gains have buried their heads in the sand and do not admit to the regime’s weakness. They also do not admit that the ruling regime is on its final leg. According to the Wall Street Journal: “European officials say conditions could now be coalescing around a preliminary agreement aimed at allowing Iran to be able to sell at least 700,000 barrels of oil a day—more than double its current exports. It also envisions a credit line of some $15 billion so Iran could draw on hard currency, getting around U.S. sanctions that freeze Iran’s export revenues in foreign bank accounts.”

 

The mullahs’ problems begin with lack of legitimacy among Iranian citizens.  The suppressive policies which have been around for 40 years have lost their effect. Iran is boiling with dissent and the people no longer fear the regime. Under MEK’s leadership as a catalyst, organized resistance will culminate in the regime’s downfall. MEK has a plan and popular backing as well as international support to face the regime anytime and anywhere.

Rudy Giuliani: The World has “an Obligation to Listen to What the Iranian People Have Been Saying” https://t.co/tZ6SXNS173#Iran #MEK

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) January 4, 2019

The MEK is present among different strata of society and has been a whistleblower for the mullahs’ regime’s nuclear and missile proliferation programs. It has exposed its terrorist activities in the region and its meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.

The MEK introduces the right policy for peace and stability in the region. Therefore, the mullahs’ suppressive measure is always directed at MEK and its supporters in Iran. The theocratic regime is constantly busy planning terrorist plots, spreading lies and conducting disinformation campaigns against the main opposition, MEK.

We urge Britain, Europe and all governments to halt giving concessions to the mullahs. #FreeIran https://t.co/QsH4xDv9yl pic.twitter.com/m4adgnUSvv

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 27, 2019

It would be wise for Western countries and Iran’s neighbors to stop a shortsighted policy based on economic gains. They are better off standing on the right side of the history and support the Iranian people and their Resistance for democracy and freedom for Iran. A strong and well-organized MEK with its plan for a peaceful transition will realize the Iranian people’s dreams and stability in the region and beyond.

Staff writer

 

In an editorial published on the Issues & Insights website on Thursday, former Italian Foreign Minister Ambassador Giulio Terzi discussed recent admissions by high-ranking officials within the Iranian regime that the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran(PMOI / MEK) poses a serious threat to the clerical dictatorship ruling Iran.

#Tehran Admits Strength of Iran’s Democratic Resistance .My OP-ED for #IssuesInside @GlobalCRL @HandsOffCain_En @gobadi @Mohaddessin @iran_policy @ispionline @eu_eeas @limesonline @formichenews @PartitoRadicale @RadioRadicale @MediasetTgcom24 @Agenzia_Ansa https://t.co/VlmZ78Bbx7

— Giulio Terzi (@GiulioTerzi) August 15, 2019

Terzi described an August 5th press briefing held by the spokesman for regime President Rouhani’s cabinet Ali Rabiee in which Rabiee openly mentioned the conflict between the regime and the MEK.

“This represents a departure from the government’s normal policy of remaining silent on that issue in order to downplay the threat that the MEK poses to the theocratic system,” wrote Terzi.

Unmitigated Confidence

The MEK has fought against the mullahs’ tyranny for four decades in its efforts to bring freedom and democracy to Iran. As the largest resistance group in Iran, it has established a well-organized plan for Iran’s democratic future, which is formally stated in Iranian opposition leader Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan.

“The MEK has expressed unmitigated confidence that the current regime is nearing its collapse, which will pave the way for that vision,” wrote Terzi. He cited that sentiment as the central theme of last month’s Free Iran gathering at Ashraf-3, the MEK’s headquarters in Albania. The five-day event was attended by hundreds of prominent politicians and dignitaries from all over the world and focused on “transforming Iran into a democratic country led by the rule of law, respect of human rights and democratic freedom,” wrote Terzi.

Terzi argued that Iran has yet to experience this kind of freedom. The Islamic Republic governs through the principle of velayat-e faqih, or absolute rule, of clerical leaders. Anyone who opposes Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is excluded from the ballot in political elections.

A Turning Point

The MEK has challenged this rule through protests and boycotts of the polls, often at great personal risk. Boycotts at the polls during the 2016 election were followed by a massive anti-regime uprising in December 2017, which spread to 142 cities and every province in the country. The regime did an abrupt about-face and acknowledged the MEK’s role in the Iran protests, contradicting years of their own propaganda that claimed that the MEK lacked influence inside Iran. “This was arguably the turning point undermining the regime’s oft-repeated claim that the MEK is incapable of presenting a serious challenge to the clerical dictatorship,” argued Terzi.

Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, an advisor to the head of the regime’s Judiciary Chief, also made recent comments about the MEK. Pour-Mohammadi was a member of Tehran’s Death Committee, which sent thousands of political prisoners to their executions during the 1988 Massacre, which claimed 30,000 lives during a single summer, most of whom were MEK members. Victims of the massacre included girls as young as 15 and pregnant women.

In a recent interview, Pour-Mohammadi once again defended what human rights defenders have called a crime against humanity and called for the elimination of the MEK. “We have no ambiguity about the MEK,” he said. “We are at a time of war. Now is not the time for talk. Now is the time to fight them.”

Tehran’s Greatest Adversary

Terzi stressed that these words make it clear that “the MEK is Tehran’s greatest adversary, and it has not only evaded all efforts to destroy it but has actually grown so much in power and influence that it was able to organize and lead a nationwide uprising just last year.” He went on to urge the world to pay attention to the words regime officials say at home because if they do, “it will become clear that they are afraid.”

False accusations about MEK are ‘finished, gone forever’ @LBJunior: #MEK/#PMOI, who have a mission in life and who have made a choice, and they are dedicated to keeping that choice.#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK #FreeIranhttps://t.co/ldOAeSqI0e – @washtimes pic.twitter.com/bjZI0SaNEL

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) August 13, 2019

This fear provides an opportunity for the international community and the Iranian people, emphasized Terzi. The regime is vulnerable and firm policies by the Western world would be effective in helping the Iranian people take back their country.

“It is now much more difficult for the mullahs to deny that there is already an alternative to their theocratic system and that popular resistance is their Achilles’ heel,” concluded Terzi.

Staff writer

Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian opposition speaking at the conference “calling for justice for victims of the 1988 Massacre” said that Khomeini, the Iranian regime founder’s intention for ordering the 1988 massacre was to uproot the MEK.

The final day of the Free Iran Conference at Ashraf 3, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI /MEK)’s headquarter in Albania, on Monday, July 15th, was devoted to the topic of the 1988 Massacre of 30,000 political prisoners by the Iranian regime.

The time has come for the international community to end 3 decades of impunity for the leaders of the regime in #Iran, holding Khamenei and his accomplice accountable for their crimes against humanity and the genocide committed in the #1988Massacre at an international tribunal pic.twitter.com/XM7LF0iYdY

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 15, 2019

Background

In the summer of 1988, Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the execution of all MEK members imprisoned in Iran. He formed three-member Death Committees in prisons across the country to carry out trials that lasted only minutes. Prisoners were executed in groups and buried in mass graves.

To date, none of the perpetrators of this crime against humanity have been brought to justice. Many of those responsible have gone on to hold high-ranking positions within the regime.

The massacre of political prisoners was a blood-drenched encounter between the Middle Ages and a generation which created the 1979 revolution, a generation resolved to achieve a society based on freedom & equality, but encountered the monster of religious fascism. #Iran pic.twitter.com/z5PNzne3UF

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 15, 2019

On Monday, survivors of the massacre shared their testimony of the brutal crime against humanity, and political dignitaries, human rights activists, and members of the NCRI and MEK discussed the urgent need to hold the perpetrators of the mass executions accountable for their crimes. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi delivered the keynote address.

Mrs. Rajavi’s Speech

“The massacre of the MEK and the other combatants and political prisoners was a blood-drenched encounter between the Middle Ages and tomorrow’s generation: the generation that created the 1979 Revolution, who represented a nation resolved to have a society based on freedom and equality but ran into the monster of religious tyranny and invasion of pillage and repression. The massacre of 1988 was the horrifying scene of such historic confrontation, but it was not the end, despite its excruciating pain and agony. It was the beginning of a new confrontation which still continues and will ultimately write the fate of the Iranian nation with the word ‘freedom,’” said Mrs. Rajavi.

“Khomeini’s intention in ordering the 1988 Massacre was to uproot and obliterate the MEK…The most intense killings began in Evin and Gohardasht Prisons and were specifically aimed at MEK members,” she said.

Mrs. Rajavi stated that the 1988 Massacre was carried out in 110 cities in Iran and that those cities have become hotbeds of protests and uprisings. “It is no accident,” she said, that these cities are now the scenes of resistance by Iranians of every ethnicity, religion, and sector of society.

“The people of Iran are united for the regime’s overthrow and achieving freedom,” she emphasized. “Our society has such a fervent fire in her heart, leaving Khamenei at an impasse. So the regime’s overthrow is the definite and certain fate of the mullahs,” she added.

“The time has come for the United Nations to form an international fact-finding mission for the 1988 Massacre, and the world to recognize the right of the people of Iran to resistance and struggle to overthrow the mullahs’ religious dictatorship,” said Mrs. Rajavi.

“I call on all Iranians in Iran and abroad to help advance and expand the Call for Justice movement for the victims of the  1988 Massacre. This is the movement of the oppressed, the suppressed and the bereaved,” she stressed.

Staff writer

On Sunday, July 14, 2019, the fourth day of the Free Iran Conference at Ashraf 3, the MEK’s headquarters in Albania called for an end to Europe’s policy of appeasement to the mullahs ruling Iran. The conference began with a panel of distinguished speakers from Europe. The topic of the panel was “Iran: Support People’s Uprising and Resistance. No to Mullahs’ Terrorism, Nuclear, and Missile Program.”

The panelists touched on a number of issues during the two-hour event. Some of the most notable moments from the panel are summarized below.

Paolo Corsini

Italian Politician and Academic

“The West should end appeasement of Iran’s regime. We should support the Iranian people and the organized Resistance, the MEK, to bring about regime change. A viable alternative to the regime exists in Iran. It is the National Council of Resistance of Iran,” said Corsini.

.@Offord4Hendon: "The world is realizing there's an alternative to Iran's rgm. It's the PMOI (MEK) in Ashraf 3. The world is starting to wake up to @Maryam_Rajavi's 10-point plan for a #FreeIran. I genuinely believe change is coming to Iran"
#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/LJ7zEJvNXZ

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

 

Dr. Matthew Offord

British MP

“The Iranian regime is making a mistake in thinking that we in Britain will be scared of its provocations. It should be assured that the UK is not scared. The UK has made it very clear we will protect ourselves, Dr. Offord said.

 

“I genuinely believe change is coming to Iran,” said Offord. The members of the MEK have re-emerged from the destruction of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty. They have launched Ashraf 3 and have been embraced by the people of Albania,” he added.

Brian Binley

Former British MP

“We first came to Albania back in 2014 with a task to the country’s Prime Minister, Mr. Edi Rama, and we asked him to accept more Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty residents,” said Binley.

“We pleaded with the Prime Minister and it wasn’t hard. He asked us shouldn’t you be making this request to other European countries? We told him we were working hard on this issue and the Prime Minister said he would accept more Ashraf/Liberty residents. I pay massive tribute to Mr. Edi Rama for convincing the people of Albania to accept more of the Iranian opposition members in their country,” Binley continued.

Ex British MP Brian Binley: "We must have meetings w/ the next UK Prime Minister to introduce @Maryam_Rajavi's 10-point plan for a #FreeIran & explain how important it is for the whole world. Iran's theocracy has no place in the 21st century"#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/oBYcUbhfxQ

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

“Having revisited Albania now, this country has made great progress in the past five years,” he added.

“This great city of Ashraf 3 showed Mr. Rama kept his process. There has been astounding progress in Ashraf 3. All this work in just a year and a half is incredible. I always knew that those of people who had gone through the hell of Camp Liberty would get things moving for themselves. You have built yourself a city and I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Binley said warmly.

“There’s more work to do and that is our task. There is much we can do in our country for the ten-point plan of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi,” he stressed.

Sergio D’Elia

Former Member of Italian Parliament, Activist

“Ashraf 3 is not only a symbol; you are a sample for the future of Iran. You are no longer just resistance against the regime; you are now a freedom movement,” said Mr. D’Elia.

“You can be free and also build up Iran. You are reliable, trustworthy, symbols of law and justice. By seeing Ashraf and you, I am convinced the MEK have created a sample of Iran in this city.

I hope we are in Tehran next year. We can see Tehran here because Ashraf 3 exists and future free Iran will also become a reality. The MEK is now part of my family, and that is why I call you my brothers and sisters,” he concluded.

Former Irish Minister John Perry: "It's time for Europe to support @Maryam_Rajavi & Iran's ppl to remove the Khamenei regime and the mullahs from power. The future generation of Iran deserves an opportunity to live a #FreeIran."#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/ipwZrUUHM1

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

John Perry

Former Irish Minister and Politician

“It is very important to see the encouraging work of the PMOI/MEK. Especially when 56 million people are under the age of 25 in Iran. The new force of technology will certainly spread the word,” said Perry.

“It is now time for Europe to stand with Iran, and say enough is enough, to support Iranians remove the Khamenei regime and the mullahs from power. The future generation of Iran deserves an opportunity to live a free Iran,” he stressed.

Gerry Horkan

Irish Senator

Senator Horkan referred to the speed at which Ashraf 3 had been constructed, saying, “We never think things will change so quickly, but they will. Hopefully, very soon we will see free, fair and democratic elections in Iran and Iranians will be voting for President Maryam Rajavi at the first election for a free and democratic Iran where freedom of religion is allowed. That is part of the Ten-point plan that we support.”

“There is huge global support for the NCRI and MEK in Ashraf 3. Hopefully, soon we will see action and deliver results, including a free and fair government in Iran,” he concluded.

Leo Dautzenberg, ex-member of Germany's Bundestag: "The Federal Court in Germany has ordered action against the Iran's regime for spying on and planning terrorism against the opposition MEK (PMOI)"#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/ySiDUwu3yU

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

Leo Dautzenberg

Former Member of German Bundestag

“The people in Iran and their struggle is the best sign of change to come to Iran. We can see that the mullahs are using Iranian wealth for their private interests. They are using the Iranian people’s money for terrorism and accelerating war in the Middle East. We do have a great responsibility and a duty towards the Middle East, and we should conduct this together,” said Dautzenberg.

“With the protests in Iran, we can also see that toppling the Iranian regime has to happen from within the country, and we have to support it from the outside. The change must come from within and from Ashraf 3,” he added.

“You have a president who, with her Ten-point Plan, which is very convincing, has created an alternative which represents freedom and democracy. This is also our choice for the future. From a European and German angle, we need to step forward and support this ten-point plan,” he concluded.

Swedish lawyer Kenneth Lewis: We must convince ppl in Europe that appeasement of Iran's regime is not the way forward. Human rights should be the most important aspect in dealing with the rgm. Huge support is growing for the MEK & a #FreeIran#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/6zH67Hd8Sl

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

Kenneth Lewis

Swedish Lawyer

“There are still a lot of people in Europe who have not understood that appeasement is not the way forward, and don’t care about human rights. Huge support is growing for this movement and we have work to do,” said Mr. Lewis.

“Human rights should be the most important aspect in dealing with the regime in Iran,” he stressed.

“Ashraf 3 is a wonderful achievement. This is an important part of the resistance. The fight to overthrow the mullahs is taking place on the streets of Tehran. Your program will be an essential contribution to that,” Lewis concluded.

Linda Lee

Former President of Law Society of England and Wales

“We in the U.K. Law Society have and will support your cause for a free Iran. We want freedom for you. I couldn’t believe what a wonderful community and spirit is in Ashraf 3. This is not a town, it lives and breathes. The mothers and daughters who have suffered so much are so positive in spirit. This is a wonderful community of people,” said Ms. Lee.

“I believe that we are now so close. I want for all the men and women of Iran to have freedom. Next year we will be in Tehran,” she concluded.

Australian Pastor Brian Medway: "We support the MEK. Your integrity & commitment, to serve the best interests of Iran, without any idea of how long this may take, this draws our affection. We will make your voice known in Australia"#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/ZRBDScFXI9

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

Brian Medway

Australian Pastor

“We support the MEK. Your integrity and commitment to serve the best interests of Iran, without any idea of how long this may take, this draws our affection. We will make your voice known in Australia,” said Medway.

Lars Rise

Former Norwegian MP

“In 2005 my wife and I visited the MEK in Camp Ashraf in Iraq. After the first two days in Ashraf, my wife said I have never experienced such love. Ashrafis are people of integrity and love. It is the complete opposite of the regime in Iran,” said Mr. Rise of his experiences with MEK members.

“The leadership of this movement through Madame Maryam Rajavi is realizing amazing results. I always say I am a member of this movement and always will be,” he concluded.

Maltese MP Frederick Azzopardi: "To the Iranian opposition MEK in Ashraf 3 I say, your cause is our cause. Your pain is our pain. Your fight is our fight. God willing, your victory will also be our victory. We salute your bravery."#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/Hu89BwVhWA

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

Frederick Azzopardi

Member of Maltese Parliament

“The Iranian people are being denied their universal rights. The Iranian regime funds terrorism and threatens the world with nuclear proliferation. This regime is responsible of crimes against humanity that are punishable under international law,” stated Mr. Azzopardi.

“As Madame President Rajavi has said, regime change is the task of the Iranian people. We should support the Iranian people at all times.

Our message to the people is: We will never abandon you until your justified cause is fulfilled. You are, indeed, our heroes. Our common mission is a free Iran,” he concluded.

Paul Forseth

Former Canadian MP

“In solidarity, we will continue to support the Iranian people. The MEK members in Ashraf 3 should be known as the ‘overcomers.’ For the Iranian people, the future is much brighter than the past,” said the former Canadian MP.

.@Alfreddezayas: "Iran's regime has executed 120,000 MEK members. I have long supported @Maryam_Rajavi's ten-point plan for a #FreeIran. Human rights violations in Iran are so massive that they constitute crimes against humanity."#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/c7f9axFKpD

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

Professor Alfred de Zayas

Former U.N. Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order

“The mullahs are not just going to roll over. Change, however, must come from within. I wish you success, perseverance, peace, and happiness in Iran,” said Professor de Zayas.

Roger Lyons

Former President of Britain’s Trades Union Congress TUC

Mr. Lyons spoke about the ongoing efforts by the TUC to support Iran’s workers. “We have been showing solidarity with the workers in Iran who face brutal repression. We have been educating various industries in order to support Iran’s workers,” he said.

Lyons also called attention to the plight of British-Iranian dual national citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. “She was arrested as a spy in Iran by the regime and separated from her baby,” Lyons explained. “The mullahs didn’t even give her decent medical attention. This is an outrageous example of the mullahs’ treachery. The mullahs’ attitude is making people understand far more about the need to support the Iranian Resistance and regime change in Iran. The evidence is here. Public opinion is strong and we will continue to campaign until we win,” he concluded.

.@amessd_southend: "This #FreeIran conference and gathering in Albania is all about democracy. Iran's democratic opposition MEK have set an example in building Ashraf 3 in such a short period. It is absolutely magnificent."#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/wEMv48XxDo

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

Sir David Amess

British MP

“This Free Iran conference and gathering in Albania is all about democracy,” said Sir Amess.

“What an example of the MEK to build such a wonderful camp in such a short period. It is absolutely magnificent. It is wonderful being with people who seek to establish freedom and justice for the Iranian people,” he added.

Staff writer

On July 13, 2019, on the largest conference during the 5-day Free Iran rally in Ashraf 3, representatives from many European and North American countries, expressed their support for the Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK / PMOI)‘s struggle to free Iran. Excerpts from some of the speeches from prominent politicians and dignitaries from around the world follow:

Michèle Alliot-Marie

Former Foreign, Defense, Interior and Justice Minister of France

“I thank you for representing a vision, a direction that unites all Iranians and many people in the world,” said Alliot-Marie. “Iran is behind all the crises in the Middle East. Iran destabilizes the whole region. Iran finances terrorists and supports them with weapons,” said Ms. Alliot-Marie.

“When we talk about Iran we don’t talk about the Iranian people. I refer to the regime that destabilizes the region. The Iranian people aren’t like that,” she emphasized. “We should not be illusional, we have cultural and political differences, but we have values that are common, and we should fight for them,” she added.

“The need for change in Iran is greater than ever before and the need of the work of this organization for change in Iran is also greater than ever before” – @stephenharper tells the MEK at the annual #FreeIran event#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/9abs5HUNGA

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

Stephen Harper

Former Canadian Prime Minister

“The need for change in Iran is greater than ever before and the need of the work of this organization for change in Iran is also greater than ever before,” said Harper.

The former Prime Minister emphasized the importance of a firm policy toward the Iranian regime. “The only realistic policy towards Iran is firmness, and post-sanctions do what my government did in Canada: close down the regime’s embassies around the world,” he said.

“What is the argument against firmness?” asked the former Prime Minister. “They say the world has no choice. Appeasement or war. This is not true. Appeasement is accepting the war that the regime is already waging against its neighbor through proxies,” he added.

“What's the argument against firmness? They say the world has no choice. Appeasement or war. This is not true. Appeasement is accepting the war Iran's regime is already waging against its neighbors through proxies” – @stephenharper#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/MdkubZamsT

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

“The right response is not to surrender, but to stand with the Iranian people and against this regime,” Harper continued.

“Your ten-point plan is the future, future Iran and the world needs. Do not give up hope and do not relent in your efforts in any way,” Harper concluded.

Dr. Bernard Kouchner

Former Foreign Minister of France

Dr. Kouchner said that the world should not confuse the Iranian regime with the Iranian people and enumerated Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for Iran’s Democratic Future.

 

“I don’t think anyone is against this policy,” he said, referring to Mrs. Rajavi’s plan. “I agree with Mr. Giuliani. We believe the people of Iran do support the [Iranian regime]. Mr. Giuliani was right. The mullahs are murderers. They are the origin of all terrorist attacks,” he said.

“We are ready to relieve this people from this awful religious system. We are not against religion. But we are against using religion to kill people,” he said. “Religion is also the liberation of the people. Madam Maryam Rajavi, you are persistent and a fantastic model for the women of the world…We are completely with you to support such a fantastic program,” he concluded.

"All politicians in Albania from all political parties support the presence of the PMOI (MEK) in Ashraf 3 here in Albania. The ambassador of Iran has been kicked out of Tirana. So we tell them: don’t push us" – @PandeliMajko#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/Fat2f3TY5R

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

Pandeli Majko

Former Albanian Prime Minister

The former Albanian Prime Minister became visibly emotional as he compared his country’s past of sheltering Jews with providing sanctuary to the MEK. “In World War II, German Nazis required Albania to transfer its gold to the bank in Berlin and give up a list of its Jewish citizens. The Albanian answer was short: ‘Gold yes, Jews no!’” said Majko.

“Lately in Albania, politicians have been in tough arguments with each other, but there is no debate about your stay here in Albania. You are in our hearts,” he added.

“If the Iranian regime wants to touch you, they must know that we said to the Nazi invaders, ‘Gold yes, Jews no.’ The ambassador of Iran has been kicked out of Tirana. So, don’t push us,” he warned. “‘’Gold yes, Mojahedin no!’ I hope to come soon to see you in Tehran,” he concluded.

Fatmir Mediu

Chairman of the Albanian Republican Party

“We have to think about the next steps, but all of us agree that the time for a change in Iran is long overdue. The American government has stood up for change in Iran, and we wish that Europe also stands up for liberty and freedom for the people of Iran as God-given rights,” said Mediu.

“Last year the Albanian government expelled the Iranian ambassador because they planned to attack us when we gathered with Mayor Rudy Giuliani to discuss iran,” Mediu said in reference to the terrorist plot against last year’s Free Iran Rally.

Elona Jebrial, ex-Albanian Deputy Interior Minister: "Iran rgm's human rights record must be referred to UNSC. We have our differences in Albania but we're united in supporting the MEK & @Maryam_Rajavi. She is beautiful inside out"#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/xpCiVhAlwd

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

“Madam Rajavi, your ten-point plan is for sure the future of Iran. Here in Albania we have our political differences, but we are united in your cause to support you for a free Iran,” said Mediu. “We’d rather be remembered by history as people who fought with you for the freedom of the Iranian people than people who stood by and watched,” he concluded.

Judge Ted Poe

Former U.S. Congressman

Judge Poe referenced the false terrorist designation of the MEK in his speech. “It was a mistake for the U.S. to put the MEK on the terrorist list in the first place. But at the end, a federal judge ordered the State Department to delist the MEK,” he said. “How ironic is this that the MEK is not on the terrorist list now but the IRGC and the Iranian government is on the U.S. terrorist list,” he added.

.@JudgeTedPoe: “The regime in Iran is cancer. When you have a snake, you must cut off the head of the snake… I’m here to tell you that the Lion & the Sword (the emblem of Iran's flag) will cut off the head of the serpent in Tehran”#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/c7VPa32004

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

“There is nothing more powerful than a woman who has made up her mind. And that woman is Madame Rajavi and she has made up her mind for freedom for all of you,” Poe said.

“Yesterday, Governor Tom Ridge said that we are all given certain rights by God. There is a right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. Governments are instituted among people to secure their God given rights. And if governments don’t do that, the people have the right to abolish that government, like the mullahs in Iran,” Poe continued.

“Don’t fear the mullahs,” urged Poe. “Don’t let them deprive you of sleep at night. It is important that the mullahs fear you and you keep them awake at night. You speak for the voices that have been silenced by the murders that have taken place against them. They cry out for justice. Justice demands that the people of Iran rule their own country. The illegitimate regime of the mullahs is through.”

“When you have a snake, you must cut off the head of the snake… I’m here to tell you that the lion with the sword [the emblem of the Persian flag] will cut off the head of the serpent in Tehran,” he emphasized.

“Somethings are worth living and dying for and I don’t see anything more worth to live and if necessary die for, than the cause of freedom in Iran,” Poe concluded.

Dana Rohrabacher

Former U.S. Congressman

“The most powerful force in the world are those people who believe in freedom and are ready to sacrifice their lives for freedom. I’m saying this to the dictators in Tehran: Your days are numbered and the people here will carry the cause of freedom to Tehran,” Rohrabacher said.

.@DanaRohrabacher: "To the oppressors: 'Your days are numbered." #FreeIran #Iran @4FreedominIran #sp https://t.co/MliCYWrKam

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 26, 2019

“You are the most powerful force on the planet,” Rohrabacher said to the MEK members at the conference. “You will prevail. As long as we have courageous people like you we don’t need to send American boots to the region.”

“I know you will win and I will be with you when we go to Tehran and declare free elections,” he added.

.@RepLanceGooden: "The first thing I learnt about Iran is that the most respected individual among the Iranian community is @Maryam_Rajavi. We support regime change in Iran."#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/oBTtRN7SrZ

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

Lance Goodan

U.S. Congressman

“The first thing I learned about Iran is that the most respected individual among the Iranian community is Madame Maryam Rajavi,” said Goodan.

 

“I encourage the young people across Iran to get together to fight and spread the message. Young people are the future of Iran,” he concluded.

Matthew Offord

British MP

“I am proud to be part of a successful cross party effort to secure your resettlement here in Albania,” said Offord. “Your movement with Madame Maryam Rajavi is at the forefront of the cause of freedom of Iran and you are a beacon of hope.”.

"We in @UKParliament reiterate it was a great mistake for the previous US admin & EU to decouple Iran regime's human rights abuses & support for terror from the nuclear deal. @GOVUK should proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist org" – @Offord4Hendon. #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/bihIAYua5U

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 12, 2019

“My colleagues and I urge our government to increase the number of people on its sanctions list for human rights violations in Iran. We urge our government to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist group, and we support the US sanctions on the regime’s Supreme Leader and urge the government to expand this to other regime officials,” Offord stated.

 

“I support Madame Rajavi’s ten-point plan that provides a clear alternative to the current Iranian regime,” Offord affirmed. “I call upon the UK government to recognize Madame Rajavi’s ten-point plan,” Offord added.

Baroness Sandip Verma

U.K. House of Lords

“There is no one stronger than a woman fighting for her children and land. Brave women in Iran are challenging the regime in every possible way. Many have been imprisoned and tortured in Iran. The prominence of women in the resistance is reflective of the role of women in Iran. It is time for the world to stand up and support the work of the NCRI,” said Baroness Verma.

.@Baroness_Verma: "Brave women in Iran are challenging the regime in every possible way." #FreeIran #Iran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi @4FreedominIran #sp https://t.co/H8mahdKYPZ

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 26, 2019

“The regime in Iran considers women activists as enemies of the state,” continued Verma. “My sister, Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim woman, makes the Resistance a unique example in the Middle East. We hope to celebrate Madame Rajavi’s success, your success, our success in Iran soon,” she concluded.

Bob Blackman

British MP

“I welcome the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization and the U.S. decision to sanction the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader,” said Blackman.

#MEK’s #FreeIran Rally in #London Points the Way to a Better Iran Policy – @BobBlackmanhttps://t.co/tlf7hcN6CG pic.twitter.com/XizKi12Z6L

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 27, 2019

“I hope that the UK will join our American allies in this effort soon,” he added. “The mullahs only understand the language of firmness. The international community must make it clear that we in the free world stand with the Iranian people and their resistance, NCRI, to bring democracy and freedom in Iran.”

Tom Ridge

Former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and Governor

“You can imprison a man or a woman but you can’t kill an idea. You can exile a man or a woman but you can’t kill an idea,” said Secretary Ridge.

.@BobBlackman: “Theocracy has no future in Iran. Iran has a better future because it has a democratic alternative, a leader such as @Maryam_Rajavi and a viable platform. Let us resolve we meet next year in a #FreeIran”#IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/AveIXhjcGG

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

“I say to each one of you: we pay tribute to your relentless pursuit for justice and freedom in your homeland which has a rich history of culture and has contributed much to the rest of the world,” Ridge said to the MEK members in attendance.

“You fight for all who cherish freedom and democracy around the world,” he added.

“There are probably millions in the world whose prayers are with you in your cause. Sometimes in your lives you have to pursue causes bigger than yourself. 120,000 men and women of the MEK have died embracing a cause bigger than themselves. You are embracing a cause bigger than yourself, and you will prevail,” Ridge emphasized.

“Your courage and sacrifice will be responsible for the freedom and democracy of generations; the same privileges that we take for granted in our countries,” he concluded.

Sid Ahmed Ghozali

Former Algerian Prime Minister

Former Prime Minister praised the Albanian government for their support of the MEK. “Albanians have shown that they are not big for their size but for the size of the ideas that they defend. When you defend democracy and freedom you become great people,” he said.

Sid Ahmed Ghozali: We must have thousands of documents on what we just heard. I have never been tortured, but I feel immense pain when I hear these testimonies. This has been a hard silence. It’s not enough to shed tears. We must act.#FreeIran #1988Massacre #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/pdRNiW8i8W

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 15, 2019

“The Ashrafis have shown that the Iranian Resistance will survive under pressure,” said Ghozali. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is a cruel and bloody religious dictatorship which wants to dominate the Arab-Islamic world,” he concluded.

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh: “Change is coming to Iran. We have to get ready to prosecute the criminals in Iran's regime who have murdered & assassinated, not by accident, but by a designed plan to mass murder a group of people"#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/zfRvpU7Z8J

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

Louis Freeh

Former FBI Director

“We will see amazing change and we will see it quickly. We have to get ready for is the prosecution and conviction of the thousands of criminals who have murdered, assassinated and killed, not by accident, but by a designed plan to mass murder a group of people,” stressed former Director Freeh.

Louis Freeh, Former Director of the FBI
What will terrify the terrorist Iranian regime authorities more than anything is the prospect that they will be arrested and prosecuted under the rule of law. #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #WeSupportMEK #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/UeCuOuP8L7

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 13, 2019

“I see your museum here in Ashraf 3 as an evidence room that has photographs and digital records of the Iranian regime’s crimes. All the evidence that exists and that can’t be erased,” said Freeh.

“Apply your skills and start preparing for criminal prosecutions by an international criminal court. What will terrify terrorists more than anything is the prospect that they will be arrested and prosecuted under the rule of law,” advised the former FBI Director.

“I think of Ashraf 3 as temporary quarters. It’s Ashraf 4 that we would want to visit – that’s in Iran,” he concluded.

Staff writer

The Washington Times released a special edition on Thursday detailing the MEK’s Free Iran Conference at Ashraf 3 in Albania. The five-day event showcased the newly-constructed MEK headquarters and attracted more than 350 high-ranking political figures, human rights activists, and other dignitaries from 47 countries to speak in support of the MEK, the Iranian people and their fight to overthrow the clerical regime.

.@Maryam_Rajavi: "We will never abandon our struggle." #FreeIran #Iran #WeSupportMEK @4FreedominIran #sp https://t.co/dc3lDiDiZO

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 26, 2019

The featured article in the Washington Times special edition, entitled “MEK will fight Iran regime from new Ashraf-3 base in Albania,” explained the history of the MEK and the significance of Ashraf 3 in the Iranian Resistance’s struggle against the mullahs.

 

Construction on Ashraf 3, according to the Washington Times piece, began 20 months ago on a piece of Albanian farmland. It is now home to more than 3,000 MEK members. The compound is the size of a small city and includes parks, a hospital, conference halls, shopping centers, restaurants, swimming pools, and a luxury hotel. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani commented on the speed at which the city had been constructed in his speech to conference attendees, saying, “If we tried to do this in New York, it would take 15 years and launch 14 corruption investigations.”

.@RepLanceGooden: "We have to have regime change in Iran now." #FreeIran #Iran #sp https://t.co/FzMPOCIpfu

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 25, 2019

The MEK relocated to Albania after repeated attacks on its previous homes at Camp Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq. Former Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko explained why his country provided refuge to the group in his speech at the conference. “In 1943, the Nazis conquered Albania and had two main demands when an Albanian delegation went to Berlin,” Mr. Majko said. “They wanted our gold transferred to Berlin, and they wanted a list of all the Jews in Albania. Our answer was simple: the gold, yes; the Jews, no. Protecting those in need is part of our identity,” he said.

 

Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), noted the significance of having so many world leaders attend the conference at Ashraf 3. “We look at the fact that so many leaders came to our home so far from where they live as a testament to the international support that exists for MEK and the faith they have in what we want to accomplish,” he said.

.@Mohaddessin: "We look at the fact that so many leaders came to our home so far from where they live as a testament to the international support that exists for #MEK and the faith they have in what we want to accomplish." #FreeIran #Iran https://t.co/f7fA9KgBlm

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 25, 2019

The Washington Times article wrote that the primary goal of the MEK is regime change but that “its formal aim is to step into the void that a collapsed Iranian government would leave only long enough to hold free elections and establish a secular state.” Mrs. Maryam Rajavi would serve as President-elect until elections were held within the first six months after the overthrow of the regime.

 

The dozens of speakers were united in their praise of Ashraf 3 and their support for regime change. The Washington Times published excerpts of many of the speeches from the event. A few of the most notable quotes are included below:

Maryam Rajavi

President-elect, NCRI

“We will take back Iran and we will build a new homeland.”

.@Maryam_Rajavi: "We will take back Iran." #FreeIran #Iran https://t.co/L3Ijhxonv9

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 25, 2019

Joseph Lieberman

Former U.S. Senator

“The battle to liberate Iran from the radical religious dictators who control it today is a battle that not only has great significance for the people of Iran but for the cause of freedom throughout the world.”

.@JoeLieberman: "A movement needs a strong, principled, collaborative leader. And that is what you have, thank God, in Mrs. @Maryam_Rajavi ." #FreeIran #Iran https://t.co/Tdt8jUU2zd

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 25, 2019

Rama Yade

Former French Secretary of State for Human Rights

“But it’s you, with your hands, your courage, your hopes, that built this place. Also, by the sacrifice of 120,000 of yours… What you did here in less than two years, you can do in Iran in one day.”

 

Tom Ridge

First U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

[S]ometimes in your life you have the opportunity to pursue and embrace causes bigger than yourself. Some 120,000 men and women have died seeking and promoting and embracing a cause bigger than themselves. There will be an open, pluralistic, non-nuclear, democratic Iran, and you — you, your courage, your sacrifice — will be responsible for future generations to enjoy the liberty and freedoms.

 

Sid Ahmed Ghozali

Former Algerian Prime Minister

“What the history will remember is that you are a resistance against repression but also that Ashraf 3 represents a new culture; they are symbols for development and progress. My dream is to see a free Iran and only then, we may have the first democratic government in the Islamic world.”

"My dream is to see a free Iran and only then, we may have the first democratic government in the Islamic world." – Sid Ahmed Ghozali and Former Algerian Prime Minister #FreeIran #Iran #sp https://t.co/rNQ2R2oKcA

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 26, 2019

Louis Freeh

Former Director of the FBI

“One of the things I just wanted to say is listening to the testimony yesterday and viewing the room next door (Martyrs Exhibition), one of the things we have to prepare for is the prosecution and conviction of the thousands of criminals who have murdered, assassinated, killed, not by accident, not by coincidence, but a designed plan to murder, mass murder a group of people.”

Staff writer

 

This summer the MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) held a series of Free Iran events in world capitals in solidarity with the people’s anti-regime protests in Iran and their stated desire to overthrow the clerical dictatorship currently in power.

Washington Times Publishes Special Report on D.C. Free Iran Rally

Rallies in Brussels; Washington, D.C.; Berlin; and Stockholm drew thousands of demonstrators and attracted news coverage from numerous media outlets around the world. The five-day Free Iran Conference at Ashraf 3, the MEK’s newly-constructed headquarters in Albania, was also widely covered by international press outlets and received attention from the regime’s state-run media as well. The final rally this Saturday in London is expected to attract thousands of attendees.

Thousands of MEK Supporters Gather in Stockholm for Free Iran Rally

The goals of this summer’s events extend beyond condemning the Iranian regime and asking the international community to end its financial support of the mullahs. The regime is on its last leg and will fall due to its own corruption and mismanagement even without outside pressure. Depriving the mullahs of support limits its ability to spread terror and bloodshed until its inevitable downfall.

Free Iran Rally in Berlin Receives International Press Coverage

Regime change is on the horizon, and the world wants to know what the alternative will look like. This is what this summer’s Free Iran events accomplished. By giving the international community a glimpse of the MEK and the NCRI, the world had the opportunity to see what Iran will look like once the mullahs have been overthrown.

Showed Ashraf 3 to the World

The choice to host the Free Iran Conference at Ashraf 3 was strategic and bold. The regime has spread propaganda that the MEK is a cult and has portrayed Ashraf 3 as a place that is closed off and secretive. The MEK disproved this conspiracy theory by throwing open its gates for 350 prominent politicians, human rights activists, lawmakers, and dignitaries from around the world and live-streaming the event to the world.

Maryam Rajavi to Free Iran Rally at Ashraf 3: “We Will Take Back Iran!”

Proved that the MEK Can Rebuild Iran

The mullahs have sown fear that Iran would be devastated by regime change and would be unable to rebuild the country. Ashraf 3 disproved this notion by its very existence. Built on Albanian farmland, Ashraf 3 did not exist 20 months ago. MEK refugees from Camp Liberty in Iraq were relocated to the property after repeated Missile attacks ordered by the Iranian government and built the entire compound from the ground up in 16 months using their own donations. The MEK has shown that it is capable of building a city from nothing in less time than others would require to construct a single building.

Demonstrated Support for the MEK

The mullahs have deployed their propaganda machine to claim that the MEK is a fringe group that has little support within Iran, but Iranian youth who have recently fled the country spoke at Free Iran rallies this summer about the MEK and talked about their reasons for leaving the country and why they joined the MEK while they were in Iran. The regime’s state-run media acknowledges the role the MEK has played in the widespread protests that have engulfed Iran since December 2017.

Showcased the Alternative

Finally, the mullahs claim that any replacement to their rule would be just as bad for the international community as the current regime. This summer, the world heard from hundreds of speakers who praised Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-point Plan for Iran’s Democratic Future. They heard the NCRI’s platform and their commitment to religious freedom, to gender equality, to human rights, and to a non-nuclear Iran. They saw a future that they could believe in, and a Resistance that deserves the world’s support.

Staff writer

The final day of the Free Iran Conference was dedicated to seeking justice for the 30,000 victims of the 1988 Massacre (mainly MEK supporters) and their families. A number of dignitaries gave speeches on Monday, but the most memorable words came from survivors of the massacre. Their words are summarized below.

Conference, ""1988 Massacre in Iran, Perpetrators must be TRIED"". Live here. Time: July 15, 15:00 CEST #1988Massacre #FreeIran #WeSupportMEK https://t.co/DiWDkmAN4p

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 15, 2019

Kobra Jokar – Former Political Prisoner

“I spent six years in prison. The Revolutionary Guards arrested me while I was pregnant. I was taken to Evin Prison and the torture chambers. I was transferred to Ward 209. In the cell, I saw four torturers torture my husband in front of me. They also tortured me in front of him,” said Ms. Jokar.

Iran #1988Massacre witness Hengameh Haj Hassan: “We were blindfolded & put in cages, small partitions where you could only squat. You couldn’t move. If we moved, we were tortured. My eyesight was degraded & my back was injured. Despite 5 operations I've still not recovered.” pic.twitter.com/XIqocJs1eX

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 15, 2019

“A few days later, they executed my husband with 75 others. The torturer said his intention was for him to never see his child. When I gave birth to my child, they took me to a hospital and quickly brought me back to prison even though I was very ill. I personally knew 50 MEK pregnant women who were executed, including Masumeh, the sister of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi,” she said.

“In prison, they would not give milk and food for the kids, and my cell mates would provide their sugar rations to me to give something to my baby. There was no doctor or medication for the children. In the public ward, there were only 15 minutes of warm water every other day, which we had to use to give the children a bath. Many of these children had lost their parents,” Ms. Jokar continued.

 

“The torturers even interrogated the children. They strapped a six-year-old girl to a chair in a dark room and said they would leave her there if she did not reveal the names of her mother’s friends,” she said.

“I managed to escape prison in 1986. All of those ladies who shared the cell with me were executed in the 1988 massacre,” Ms. Jokar said.

In the summer of 1988, Iran's regime summarily and extra-judicially executed tens of thousands of political prisoners held in jails across Iran. The #1988Massacre was carried out on the basis of a fatwa by the regime’s Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini.#FreeIran #WeSupportMEK pic.twitter.com/fiZ8YgAAVs

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 15, 2019

“The roots of our hopes and faith in our leaders helped us overcome the dark times in prison and to fight for freedom,” she concluded. Ms. Jokar remained stoic throughout her testimony but many in the room were visibly moved by her words.

 Hengameh Haj-Hassan

“I was a nurse in Tehran. In 1981, I was arrested and imprisoned in Evin Prison and Gohardasht Prison along with many of my colleagues. We were charged with helping the people who were injured by the IRGC,” said Ms. Haj-Hassan.

“In prison, we were subjected to severe tortures. Insomnia, packed cells, sleeping in coffins were what we had to endure,” she said.

Death Commissions sent 30000 political prisoners to the gallows. The vast majority of the victims were PMOI (MEK) members. Perpetrators of Iran's #1988Massacre have never been held accountable. Worse still, some have been promoted to top government & judiciary positions #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/ngiM7qvhHW

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 15, 2019

“I was in a cage for seven months. These were small partitions where you could only squat. You couldn’t move, you couldn’t even cough or sneeze. If we moved, we were tortured. Our eyes were blindfolded. My eyesight has been degraded and my back was injured. I was operated on five times and yet I still have not recovered,” Ms. Haj-Hassan continued.

“When we came out of the cages, our friends didn’t recognize us. Inside the cage, we had to be prepared for any torture at any moment. The torturers used any excuse to torture us,” she emphasized.

“The torturer told us that we would die here. We were only given three minutes per day to go to the bathroom. We couldn’t even brush our teeth. The food they gave us was scarce and very dirty. At night, when we were allowed to sleep, they would turn on loudspeakers and play the regime’s mourning songs,” she added.

“The torturers sought to break our will and force us to turn our backs on our struggle. I decided that I would tell the enemy the name of the Mojahed. My friend Shekar was arrested with me, and she was executed in 1988 after suffering torture and the cage,” she stressed.

“I decided to prepare myself for hard days. I scheduled all my moments every day. My program was I started to remember all the songs and the contents of the Mojahedin books and the martyrs’ biographies that I already had read and started to repeat them. I had a physical exercise program. We weren’t allowed to move, but I exercised in my mind. I nursed patients in my mind,” she explained.

“At night, when we couldn’t sleep due to the loudspeakers, I trained myself to shut down those noises and take myself to pleasant places in my memories,” she added.

“The hardest times were the feeling of loneliness. I thought of God, and I thought of my leader, Massoud Rajavi. I spoke to him, and this way, I didn’t feel alone anymore,” Ms. Hassan continued.

“The torturers thought they would break our will through torture. However, they only made us stronger, as we understood that this proved what we were doing was right,” she emphasized.

“In prison, we considered ourselves PMOI representatives, and we deemed it our responsibility to defend their values. When I came out of prison, the first thing I did was to re-join my organization. This is a path that will continue until the end,” Ms. Haj-Hassan concluded. Her speech drew chants and applause from the audience.

Homa Jaberi

“I was in the regime’s prisons for five years and I witnessed many tortures. I was arrested in 1981 because I had participated in a peaceful MEK protest and spent many years in Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) and Evin prisons. When the regime wasn’t able to break the will of the MEK woman through torture, they created a compound called the ‘residential units,’” said Ms. Jaberi.

Iran #1988Massacre witness Homa Jaberi: “After 40 days I was taken to Evin Prison. Some of my friends had lost their mental balance. Some prisoners would not speak of the tortures they suffered. The torturers had made them make animal noises & insult themselves. Some were raped.” pic.twitter.com/cVnKSUUezy

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 15, 2019

“This was a secret compound. I was there for 40 days. From the first day, I was tortured brutally with whips and physically beaten. They took all of us to a room, blindfolded us, and told us that they would kill us until that night. They tortured us for hours until midnight,” she stated.

“My hands were swollen from the whiplashes. My face and body were bruised. The regime’s torturer said, ‘This is your hell. No one will hear you here. You will all die here.’ They kept us awake for many days and didn’t let us sleep,” she continued.

“Some of my friends were kept in this place for six months. We weren’t even allowed to scream under torture. Every command was given with whip lashes. For instance, if they wanted to tell us that we could sleep, they would do so by whipping us,” she added.

“After 40 days, I was taken to Evin Prison. Some of my friends had lost their mental balance. Some of the prisoners would not even speak of the tortures they had suffered. They said that the torturers made them make animal noises and insult themselves. Some had been raped,” Ms. Jaberi explained.

“I have faith that with the leadership of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, we will free Iran. It was this faith that helped me overcome the tough conditions of the prison,” she concluded to cheers and chants from the audience.

A video clip about the 1988 Massacre was shown to the conference attendees. MEK members held up photographs of loved ones who were martyred in the massacre. Some held more than one photograph. Mrs. Rajavi wiped tears from her eyes during the presentation.

 

Staff writer