On June 29, the Iranian Resistance leader Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) delivered a speech to visiting lawmakers from throughout the world, at the Albanian headquarters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). It was the most significant international gathering at the compound (Ashraf3) since it was established following the evacuation of the group’s former community in Iraq, which had been under fire for years from forces aligned with Iran’s theocratic regime.

The successful relocation of all of the camp’s 3,000 residents was regarded as a triumph by the MEK, insofar as it provided a new, more stable base of operations for the global effort to remove the existing regime and establish a democratic system in its place. Last month’s speech was an opportunity for Mrs. Rajavi to emphasize the practical outlook for that project and to encourage the international community to continue pursuing the type of assertive foreign policy that was on display when the United States and the United Nations stood up to Iran over the issue of the MEK and its members residing in camp Ashraf in Iraq.

The effort to relocate those people to what is now known as “Ashraf 3” was a modest beginning to more confrontational dealings with the Islamic Republic. But as Mrs. Rajavi explained in her remarks, the world had a long way to go to reverse a decades-long strategy of conciliation and “appeasement.” It still does, although the Trump White House has done a great deal to help demonstrate the potential effect of putting pressure on the regime instead of negotiating with it in the vain hope that its behavior will someday change.

“Imagine for a moment, what would have happened if such a disastrous policy would not have been adopted from the outset,” she said to a crowd of MEK members and visiting supporters before outlining a wide variety of malign activities that were enabled in large part by Western powers’ preoccupation with reaching out to so-called moderates within the regime. The prime target of this effort, in recent years, was President Hassan Rouhani, but his progressive-sounding campaign promises were belied by his previous dealings with the West and his proven disregard for human rights issues.

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

Like many of those who played a major role in Iran’s government in the years following the 1979 revolution, Rouhani was aware of many of the killings and other crimes that were carried out in the interest of silencing dissent against the fledgling theocracy. As a Member of Parliament and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Rouhani was in a position to press for an end to these crimes or at least speak out against them. Yet he consistently demonstrated complicity, even when “death commissions” began the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988.

That dark stain on Iran’s history, with its estimated death toll of 30,000 over just a few months, was the first thing mentioned by Mrs. Rajavi when she listed all that could have been prevented by more assertive Western policies. Sadly, not only did lawmakers and Western media largely ignore warnings about what was happening in 1988, they learned hardly anything about the regime in the aftermath. The world should have recognized the futility of appealing to “moderates” when it became clear that the few who objected to mass killing were driven out of the system, while those who participated were rewarded for the rest of their political careers.

 

In 1988, Hossein Ali Montazeri was next in line to be Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. But after he warned his fellow officials that they would be remembered as criminals for facilitating thousands of politically motivated executions, he not only was shunned by the regime but went on to spend the last years of his life under house arrest.

By contrast, one of the main architects of the killings, Ebrahim Raisi, was appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier this year to head the entire nation’s judiciary. Two other members of the “death commissions” were appointed by Rouhani to head the Ministry of Justice during each of his successive terms. This should tell lawmakers throughout the world all they need to know about Tehran’s view of human rights, about Rouhani’s moderate credentials, and about the future the Iranian people will face if the international community continues trying to elevate such figures while promoting a slow pathway to reform.

There are only two realistic outcomes for the Islamic Republic: maintenance of the status quo as advocated by the authors of “appeasement,” or sudden, transformative change of the sort championed by the MEK and its allies in the NCRI.

The fact is that constructive dialogue with the mullahs does not work. Even the 2015 nuclear agreement demonstrated this, as the regime’s acceptance of modest, easily reversible restrictions on its nuclear program produced a financial windfall that has since been used to accelerate missile development, violent intervention into the affairs of surrounding nations, and ultimately, the nuclear program itself. In recent days, the supposedly moderate Rouhani has personally expressed about his intention to oversee uranium enrichment in “any amount” desired. This only underscores the lack of restrictions put in place by negotiators for whom conciliation has long since become the norm.

But there were clear warning signs about Rouhani’s duplicity in this, as well. When he served as Tehran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005, he publicly bragged about creating a “calm environment” in which the regime could accelerate its nuclear development while giving the impression that it was preparing to wind down.

The regime is giving no such impression now, and its open hostility can only be explained by its well-learned confidence that the world will not do anything to stop it. Notwithstanding the Ashrafis’ relocation and the effective economic pressure being exerted by the US, the world community as a whole has shown little interest in severing ties with Iran or adopting the strategy of “maximum pressure,” even in the wake of direct attacks on oil tankers and a US drone, and proxy attacks on pipelines, airports, and more.

The most serious action that the European Union has taken over the past year is to sanction Iran’s secret service and some of its known operatives. All it took was for France, Albania, and other nations to be directly threatened by bomb and assassination plots targeting Iranian opposition activists. Considering what those plots say about the political climate inside the Islamic Republic and the potential for more killings on the scale of 1988, it is shocking that the international community is so hesitant to go at least as far as the White House has done, by sanctioning the office of the supreme leader and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

If they were to do so, the Europeans would go a long way toward promoting the sudden, transformative change that represents Iran’s only hope for a free and democratic future. Last year, a nationwide mass uprising led by the MEK demonstrated that the people of that country are ready to take it upon themselves to bring this about. All they need is the international support that has been almost always withheld throughout the past four decades.

Staff writer

The summer of 1988, after months of deprivation from visiting their loved ones, thousands of families of MEK supporters and activists, gathered at the prison’s entrance across Iran, received the remaining cloths of their family members, a reference to a grave or in most cases no news about their whereabouts.

In Tehran, families could manage to find a mass graveyard in Khavaran, were, apparently, thousands of bodies of MEK supporters were dumped and buried in a night. These hopeless families go every year to Khavaran, to commemorate their loved ones. Yet within the past few years, so many of these families were arrested, even executed. People such as Ali Saremi, Jafar Kazemi, Mohammad-Ali Haj-Aghaie, supporters of the MEK, lost their lives.

Solidarity with the Iranian Resistance & Iran Uprising #FreeIran https://t.co/f5nX6kbA7U

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 13, 2019

According to survivors and the regime defectors and other sources, more than 30,000 members and supporters of the MEK were executed in a matter of months in the summer of 1988.

Tragic but heroic, they were executed for how they called the MEK and its historical leader Massoud Rajavi.

 

Although MEK informed the International Community about this massacre, Western governments chose to close their eyes and rather follow commerce with the so-called reformist Mullah Hashemi Rafsanjani, then Iran’s president.

 

After 30 years, a tape was exposed, with the voice of the late Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Khomeini’s heir at that time, speaking to members of the death committee telling them they had committed a crime for which History would curse the regime. Those positions cost Montazeri his seat as heir apparent to Khomeini.

 

The crimes of the Iranian regime is known to everyone, anyone with the least dignity condemns these atrocities such as the massacre of 30000 MEK members in 1988. Amnesty International recently published a vast report based on a thorough study which shows that this massacre is no less than a crime against humanity. Among others, it was based on tens of testimonies by MEK members now settled in Albania in Ashraf3 compound, where the opposition has regrouped after quitting their former settlement in Iraq under Iran regime’s pressures.

I call on all Iranians in #Iran and abroad to help advance and expand the Call-for-Justice movement for the victims of the #1988Massacre. This is the movement of the oppressed, the suppressed and the bereaved. #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/z2yBw1Jq69

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 15, 2019

Nonetheless, the regime keeps those involved in this massacre in power positions as high as head of the Judiciary.

At the same time, a vast and costly demonization campaign is followed by the mullahs to tarnish the image of their victims. Their motto is: if you have to kill, demonize your victims so you are justified in your crime.

An array of websites and well implanted “journalists” are in the mullahs’ inventory to achieve this goal. So-called journalists, who blame the MEK and ultimately the victims of this regime, for the latter’s crimes! This demonization campaign against the Iranian resistance pursues nothing but one goal: Washing the hands of the mullahs so the Western company managers can shake hands with them! History has proven that no one sides with dictators for God’s sake and “the democratic cultish issues” of a resistance movement such as the MEK with more than 120,000 fallen for the cause of freedom and the vast network inside, which the Iranian regime fears most and repeatedly warns its troops of those units’ activities.

Khomeini’s intention in ordering the #1988Massacre was to totally uproot and obliterate the Mojahedin. To this end, he deployed his killing machine in several areas. The most intense killings began in Evin and Gohardasht prisons, aimed specifically at members of the PMOI/MEK. pic.twitter.com/y8CaGHOtNw

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 15, 2019

History is the best judge, time will move on, Iranian people and their resistance MEK will topple this regime, the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre will be held accountable in international courts, but the remaining question is would those who white-washed those crimes also be held accountable?

As it comes to those longing to do business with Iran at any cost, it should be said that such business is called “bad business,” since they invested in the blood of the Iranian people.

Staff writer

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) held its annual Free Iran Rally at Ashraf 3, the MEK’s headquarters in Albania, for the first time this year.

Ashraf 3 was constructed in just one year and built from the ground up as a home for the displaced members of the MEK who suffered repeated attacks at their previous homes at Camps Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq. The choice to host the Free Iran Rally at Ashraf 3 this year is significant.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi delivered the keynote address to the tens of thousands of MEK members and international dignitaries gathered for the rally.

“Twenty months ago, this was an empty piece of land with nothing on it. At the hands of the Mojahedin, through their enormous efforts and hard work, Ashraf 3 was built and now stands tall. But our final destination is Tehran, freed from the occupation of the mullahs.”

The Goal of an Uprising

Mrs Rajavi quoted Massoud Rajavi’s words on the importance of regime change coming from within Iran: “For a nation to appreciate her own freedom, she must ultimately free herself on her own. “Everyone can only free himself on his own from the yoke of coercion and oppression, and it is precisely for this reason that we are responsible to advance the goal of a general uprising for the freedom of our people and our country,” she quoted.

Fueling Tensions

In reference to her opposition to the easing of sanctions against the Iranian regime in 2013, Mrs. Rajavi said, “The time has come for major powers to stop appeasing and giving concessions to the murderous religious tyranny, the Central Banker of terrorism, and the world’s record holder of executions, and to recognize the right of the people of Iran for resistance and freedom.”

Mrs. Rajavi listed the regime’s escalating terrorist activities and meddling in the Middle East since 2018. She specifically discussed the bombing plot against MEK members at Ashraf 3 last year. “Clearly, the regime is fueling tensions in a bid to push back against the international community. They foment turmoil and chaos to hide their fear of being overthrown. They want firmness to be replaced with a policy of appeasement, and they want to allay fears and anxiety of their Basij Forces and Revolutionary Guards and to preserve their internal balance and equilibrium,” she said. “However, the reality is that schism and instability are among the signs that the regime is in its final chapter. The clerical regime is not going to find a way out of its inevitable downfall.”

Mrs. Rajavi warned those who claim to hope to avoid war in the region that their sentiments are misguided. “Anyone who seeks freedom for Iran, anyone who wants to save Iran from destruction and chaos, anyone who wants global and regional peace and stability, must rise up to demand the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime,” she said.

The MEK Has Paid the Price

Mrs. Rajavi said that the policy of appeasement now carries heavy consequences. The MEK exposed the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, forced a cease fire in the Iran-Iraq War, called attention to the regime’s human rights situation, and repeatedly blew the whistle on the mullahs’ malign activities. If they had not done so, “today, the situation would have been radically different, and the mullahs, equipped with nuclear weapons, would have created and solidified the empire and Caliphate they had long intended to establish,” she said.

“But the MEK has paid the price to break the atmosphere of fear and intimidation created by the velayat-e faqih and their criminal Revolutionary Guard Corps throughout its history by exposing the regime’s evil nature and its illicit activities, including the disclosure of the mullahs’ nuclear program, and by standing against this regime even at the price of their lives,” she continued.

“[MEK] thus has left no future for the mullahs’ evil caliphate,” she added.

Rise of the MEK

Mrs. Rajavi praised the MEK’s Resistance Units: “This Resistance has been able to expand and organize its network inside Iran despite the pervasive repression. This is how Ashraf has been replicated in society and among the people of Iran,” she said.

Despite the regime’s claims that the MEK has no influence within the country, Iranian authorities have arrested large numbers of MEK members and have created new patrols to round up Resistance Units and to suppress Resistance activities. “But the enemy can neither succeed in breaking the morale of Resistance forces in prisons nor is it able to thwart the resistance movement and the units of rebellion in cities. Yes, every young man or woman yearning for freedom and justice is a potential or de facto rebel,” she said.

Maryam Rajavi restated her plan to establish a free and democratic Iran and said that the NCRI would succeed in this goal.

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

The MEK hosted the second day of an international conference on Friday at Ashraf-3, the home of the Iranian Resistance’s headquarters in Albania. The conference, entitled “120 years of struggle of the Iranian people for freedom,” was attended by thousands of MEK members and prominent politicians and dignitaries from around the world.

The conference’s focus was to condemn the Iranian regime for its suppressive and inhuman actions at home and its terrorist activities abroad and to call on the international community to end the policy of appeasement that allowed the regime to act without consequences.

Speakers at the conference also emphasized that the international community must recognize the MEK and NCRI as the democratic alternative to the mullahs’ regime in order to bring peace and stability to the region.

The following are some of the highlights from the speeches at Friday’s event:

Maryam Rajavi

President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

From Mrs. Rajavi’s keynote address:

“One of the missing links in previous movements of the Iranian people was a coherent organization and an organized struggle, coupled with a determined and battle-hardened force prepared to make any sacrifice necessary. As a result, the people’s previous struggles did not succeed despite all their sacrifices,” she said in reference to the failure of past uprisings.

Mrs. Rajavi also spoke about the many crimes perpetrated against the MEK by the mullahs’ regime.

“Despite all the crimes and massacres he committed, Khomeini failed to extinguish the flames of freedom. Over the past 40 years, 120,000 persons have given their lives for the cause of freedom. That includes the 30,000 people who were massacred in 1988 for insisting on their political identity as a member of the Mojahedin. Another half-a-million people were arrested and viciously tortured,” she said.

“The mullahs continued their crimes against Ashraf and Liberty by setting 22 deadlines in 10 years, through a medical blockade, through psychological torture using over 300 loudspeakers blaring into Ashraf for two years, and through 29 ground and aerial attacks, using armored vehicles and missile launchers, including the commission of seven bloodbaths and massacres,” she continued.

Mrs. Rajavi concluded on a hopeful note, saying, “But today, we have reached a historic turning point. An Ashraf which has once again risen up, proud and powerful, shining bright at the zenith of this Resistance. This Ashraf has been replicated 1000 times in the form of resistance units all over Iran. And a volatile society which is no longer willing to put up with the mullahs, yearning to overthrow them.”

Suda

MEK member and resident at Ashraf-3

“I grew up in Sweden and was about to travel to France to study, but a video that I’d seen couldn’t leave my mind; a video of someone being stoned to death in Iran. I saw myself at a crossroads. I could live my own life and fulfil my dreams or I could put everything aside and fulfil my people’s dreams. That’s why I joined the MEK, to live for others. I thank all of you for being with us,” she said.

French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt tells Iran's democratic opposition: “I’m proud of what you've achieved in Ashraf 3. As a woman I feel very proud of standing w/ you since there's no other org like the MEK that gives women this power” #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/99C823z9w7

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

Ingrid Betancourt

Former Colombian Senator and Presidential candidate

“It’s just amazing what the MEK has done to transform this place since the last time I visited. I am proud to be your friend,” said Ms. Betancourt. “Your decision to confront the tyranny and pay the highest price. This sacrifice today is bearing its fruit. I see that here in Ashraf 3. It’s a miracle. I have been with you for a couple of years and I am amazed by your support and your political savviness. As a woman, I feel very proud and that in the world there is no organization like the MEK that gives women this power.”

“We are making history today,” she added. “Your victory is our victory and we will be very soon with you in Tehran!” Ms. Betancourt proclaimed.

Rudy Giuliani

"We could have prevented the Holocaust. We can't now. We can just learn from it. But we can prevent the murder and slaughter going on in Iran. An alternative exists to the theocracy in Iran. It's our responsibility to support it" – @RudyGiuliani #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/MNvv2h5xQP

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

Former New York City Mayor

“There is an alternative to the theocracy and dictatorship in Iran. It is a government-in-exile, and it gives us the confidence that if we help overthrow the Iranian regime, there will be prosperity and democracy in Iran,” said the former mayor.

Giuliani referred to the numerous terrorist plots against the MEK by the Iranian regime in 2018, saying, “They tried to bomb us in the US. They tried to bomb us here in Tirana a year and a half ago. They tried to bomb us in Paris a year ago. They’re the biggest state sponsor of terrorism and we let them sit in the UN and talk to them like they’re decent people.”

“I thank Madam Maryam Rajavi for letting me be part of this, and this is something that I am proud of and probably my children will be proud of…I wish to have this meeting in Tehran before I die,” Giuliani said.

Giuliani encouraged the MEK to continue their struggle for freedom. “You keep trying and you fail, you keep trying and you fail, and then the Berlin Wall comes down. It will happen eventually, but let’s make it happen now before another 100,000 deaths,” he said.

"The museum in Ashraf 3 is an echo of the Holocaust" – @JoeLieberman at the conference on the Iranian people's struggle for freedom in Iran, today in Ashraf-3, Albania. #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/02Jh6mr5Cu

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

Senator Joseph Lieberman

Former U.S. Senator and Vice-Presidential candidate

“You in the NCRI have given us the opportunity to be true to our national principles. When I’m here I feel that I’m representing the spirit of my great friend, the late Senator John McCain, who was warned by the establishment to stay away from this organization, but he spent time learning about it. He came to Ashraf 3, believing in this organization and its cause,” said Lieberman.

“Ashraf 3 has become something magnificent. Coming here and seeing this magnificent community that you’ve built is miraculous. It teaches us lessons,” he continued.

Lieberman praised the Ashrafis for their perseverance, saying, “The citizens of Ashraf never gave up despite the atrocities they faced imposed by the Iranian regime.”

He also talked about the exhibition of the history of MEK members who have been killed and persecuted by the Iranian regime that he and other speakers viewed before the conference began: “This exhibition, despite the mourning, is inspiring. And the whole story of the Ashrafis is inspiring,” he said.

“With the kind of leadership that the MEK and Maryam Rajavi are giving and will give in Iran; with the support of people from around the world who are represented here and with the resistance of the Iranian people inside of Iran, we will have a meeting some day in Iran and come together and have a great party,” Lieberman concluded.

Michèle Alliot-Marie

MEP; former French Foreign, Defense, Justice and Interior Minister

Alliot-Marie referenced the MEK memorial, saying, “I have to say that I’m very moved. What a contrast between the dramatic, horrifying images that we saw a few minutes ago. To be in contact with men and women who have given their lives for such a cause. To see what you have been able to achieve. You wish to give so much to the Iranian people.”

“You have people who have been tortured yet you still pave the path for freedom. This visit to Ashraf 3 was very moving for us,” she continued.

“I have the privilege of being able to speak and think freely. Yet I also know that today this liberty is not available everywhere across the globe,” Alliot-Marie said.

“We are also obliged to all people who are being subjugated to dictators around the world, and in Iran. We are here today, Mrs. Rajavi, to tell you that you are not alone,” she said.

“We have to give the Iranian people courage and the help they need so they can get their future back,” Alliot-Marie concluded.

“Maryam Rajavi's 10-point plan for a future #FreeIran is what we want for all Iranians” – former French Foreign Minister @MAlliotMarie at today's Iran conference in Ashraf-3 in Albania with members of Iran’s democratic opposition, the MEK. #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/fSuXflnhyE

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

Matthew Offord

MP (United Kingdom)

“You are the proof of a proud brave nation that will never succumb to the atrocities of the regime,” Offord said, addressing the MEK members at the conference.

“We have always argued that decoupling the regime’s human rights violations from the nuclear deal was a mistake,” he said.

“We have been proven right that there is no moderate faction inside the Iranian regime.” he added.

“There are two issues that we continue to raise in our debates,” Offord said:

1. “We need to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its atrocities in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners.”
2. “The U.K. government needs to blacklist the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and all its subsidiary as a terrorist organization.”

“This measure will signal to the Iranian people that they are not forgotten and we stand with them,” he emphasized.

Offord added, “We want to recognize the right of the Iranian people and the resistance led by Madame Maryam Rajavi to establish a democratic and free republic in Iran.”

“Iran’s current regime is not just a threat to the Iranian people but to the peace around the world,” he concluded.

General James Conway

Former Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps

“I participated in a policy panel in Ashraf 3 and we were invited to dinner with the ladies of Ashraf 3. And some of them shared with me their stories of sacrifice and suffering. What I saw last night in terms of the ability to endure loss and yet move on was the sense of unit cohesion and dedication to each other that was the same as you see in the military. The sense of mission and dedication to accomplish it, said General Conway.

“I’m absolutely confident that with those ladies, you will make your country free someday,” he added.

“@RudyGiuliani was correct that the solution to Iran is not appeasement but regime change. Throughout history there are always tyrants & for a while they seem invincible. But they all fall at the end. Always” Mojgan Parsaie, ex PMOI (MEK) Sec Gen #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/WfUdmjosdO

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

Ms. Mojgan Parsaie

Former MEK Secretary General

“The story of the supporters of Ashraf who helped rescue the MEK members is the story of honorable people,” said Ms. Parsaie.

“Time has shown that you stand on the right side of history. The future will show more appreciation,” she added.

“Mayor Giuliani was correct that the solution to Iran is not appeasement but regime change. Throughout history there are always tyrants and for a period they seem invincible. However, they all fall at the end. Always.” Ms. Parsaie concluded.

Ashraf-3, the MEK’s headquarters in Albania, hosted an international conference on Thursday, July 11th entitled “Policy on Iran and a Viable Alternative.” A panel of prominent politicians and dignitaries from the United States and Europe offered their perspectives on the best approach to dealing with the Iranian regime. They also discussed the need for the international community to support the MEK as the democratic alternative to the mullahs’ regime in Iran.

Moderator:

• Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield

Panelists:

• Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
• Former Commandant of the U.S. Marines Corps James Conway
• University of Baltimore Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan
• Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Ambassador Robert Joseph
• Former Foreign Minister of Canada
• Former U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli

The following are some of the most notable moments from the day’s event. (Questions in bold type were asked by panel moderator Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield.)

"The JCPOA [Iran deal] was such a bad deal … I don't know how the British Foreign Secretary today could be wanting to resuscitate the JCPOA after what happened yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz. It just boggles the mind" – @Baird at today's Iran policy conference in Albania pic.twitter.com/hamQiCoAZq

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

What is the Achilles heel of the mullahs’ regime?

Sen. Torricelli “There’s a fundamental belief that things will work out. The future is not as bad as the past. Even a despotic regime will reform itself over time. That’s a handicap for us. The Iranian regime is not going to reform. It’s not going to change.”

“The second handicap is, those who would accommodate the regime take the high ground because they’re speaking out against war. Here’s the problem: first of all, there is a war. There’s no one fighting back. Tens of thousands of Iranians were killed by their own government. There’s been a war waged on the Iranian people since 1979. Those who would argue for patience and time have no moral high ground.”

Where can we have the maximum effect on pushing the regime back?

“Iran's regime will fall. But if we pursue wrong policies that assist the rgm such as giving it a $150B down payment, we'll be perpetuating the threat & hurting the people of Iran” – ex-US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Robert Joseph.#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/gr96VdUGRR

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

Amb. Joseph: “The right policy is whatever accelerates the end of this regime. The wrong policy is what prolongs the life of this regime. Appeasement has turned out to be not just a failure but also counter to American interests. We should start with maximum pressure, and the administration has been doing a good job. The sanctions are having a deep impact on the Iranian economy.

“If we show weakness, it’s provocative. When we show strength, the regime backs down. It’s important that we always keep in mind that the show of strength is key to success.”

“Land invasion is not what’s necessary. Change has to come from within [Iran]. A more effective policy would include calling out the regime on its gross human rights violations. We don’t do that often enough.”

“We should negotiate on nuclear affairs, but we have to keep in mind what our principles are. We should not be victim of the mindset that negotiations mean compromise and giving the other party concessions. That is what happened in the JCPOA.

“Our focus ought to be calling them out, and combining these tools, whether its sanctions or the military, that will facilitate the end of this regime.”

What’s the right strategy to impair the military of the Iranian regime? Is it something we should be looking at? What else could we be thinking of that would undermine the cohesion of this criminal enterprise?

Prof. Sheehan: “The contest is ultimately over the right to think freely. The regime fears the truth, they fear facts. We must hold panels like this and expand the truth. We must give the Iranian people a sense of what’s going on around them and the idea that there is this viable alternative.

“The Iranian opposition does not fear the truth, and they know ultimately that it is on their side. With time these ideas will lead to the revolution that we’d all like to see take place.”

“There are some groups and individuals that you simply can’t negotiate with, and Iran’s terrorist regime is emblematic of that group” – @ProfSheehan at today's Iran policy conference in Ashraf-3, Albania.#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/Lv93iJFpAq

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

Should we be more specific about the guilt of the Iranian regime?

Baird: “We can exploit the regime’s vulnerability, to support the people of Iran. The regime realizes that when it falls, they will have no place to go. The senior members of this regime know that they will have nowhere to go and they will be held to account for their crimes such as the 1988 massacre of political prisoners and the bombing of the Jewish center in Argentina.”

Sen. Torricelli: “No one can seriously believe this regime will last long. It’s an unsustainable situation. If you’re in the leadership today, there’s going to be a moment in your life when you’re going to be held accountable.”

What messages are the ones that really hurt the regime the most and isolate them among their people?

Amb. Joseph: “We must continue to push forward on exposing the regime’s brutality and its human rights violation. In the information space, we ought to focus on how this regime has failed the people. Just look at their inability to respond to the recent flooding. It is an incompetent regime. That is a vulnerability that would further deteriorate support for this regime in Iran, which is already decreasing day after day, month after month, year after year.”

Do the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) deserve to wear a uniform at all, given their unprofessional behavior?

Gen. James Conway, ex-Commandant of the US Marines: “The objective of authoritarian regimes is the survival of their regime. Iran's regime wants to be the premiere power in the region. How do we counter that? We should ratchet up the sanctions." #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/c2g4hJ6krO

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

General Conway, “Iran’s regime invariably gets greedy. Every one of the leaders of this regime have Swiss bank accounts that are growing while the people of Iran are living in poverty. We should expose that and let the people know who their leadership is.”

What will do the trick [to overthrow the mullahs]?

Prof. Ivan Sascha Sheehan “The regime in Tehran fears internal pressure more than it fears external threats. The people of Iran don’t need the world to rescue them. The regime change will be led by you.”

Are we playing strong offense and defense?

Sen. Torricelli: “Not enough.”

“It happens all the time. In Tehran, they have carefully disseminated false information into the mainstream media. We’re fighting back, and it’s been a long climb. What the mullahs are doing with misinformation in Washington, London and Paris, you can do with the truth. “

Baird: “The fact that the European authorities uncovered a plot by the regime that tried to attack the Free Iran rally in Paris in 2018, the rashness just shows how fearful the regime is of you.”

How do we amass the power of the many outrages about the regime and put it all into a powerful mixture?

Amb. Joseph: “The process that I’ve seen is that reporters tend to go to the same sources over and over again. If you look at who they’re going to in the world of think tanks, most of these people are doing the work of the regime.”

“This is where the MEK and NCRI can make a difference.”

Is the world taking notice of the regime’s terrorism in their countries? When did it become acceptable behavior? What should we do about it?

Prof. Sheehan: “There are some groups and individuals that you simply can’t negotiate with, and the regime is emblematic of that group.”

“In Washington, DC, we found a deeply entrenched pro-regime lobby, and that lobby exists in other places of the world. But the tools and power of ideas that we have at our disposal today are much stronger than the tools we had before.”

“We don’t have to wait for Washington to change its policy. Every citizen around the world can help contribute to this change.”

A lot of people in Washington fear that what happened in Syria and Libya will repeat in Iran.

Baird: “They need to understand who the Iranian people are and what their capacity is. We have to push back against the elite foreign policy view in the West. In the West, regimes start to do crazy stupid things and the type of behavior we’ve seen in this regime. They are not being rational in their final days, and the more we see this, the closer they are to their end.”

The Iranian people have had this aspiration from at least the beginning of the 20th century. How can we convince the West that we can trust them if this regime collapses?

“Those who accommodate Iran's regime take the high ground since they’re speaking out against war. Iran's Gov has waged war on its ppl since 1979 killing tens of thousands. Those who argue for patience/time have no moral highground” @bobtorricelli#FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi pic.twitter.com/bqUuKtouAd

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

Sen. Torricelli: “Tehran is desperately trying to keep the Europeans in a dialogue to keep an economic lifeline. They do not want military confrontation but they are attacking the U.S. drone. These are irrational acts. When the regime becomes this irrational, it means that the sanctions are working. Those irrational actions tell me that we’re reaching a point. If I were Trump or Merkel or Macron, I would press my foot on the pedal because they’re telegraphing that what we are doing is working.”

How do we direct western policy in the right direction? What could we do that we are not doing enough of?

Giuliani: “We had an opportunity a few years ago when the sanctions were working. There are strong indicators that the protests in Iran are becoming political.”

“People have said bad things about you because you support the MEK and Madam Rajavi. What does Washington need to know that this group is entirely misportrayed in Washington?” asked Amb. Bloomfield.

Giuliani: “We need a massive public relations campaign. When people find out what this group really stands for and they get past the allegations, it all starts to make sense. We’ve got the same goal that is a free democratic Iran.”

Is there a potential for Canada, the U.S. and Europe to find common ground on how the regime is gaming the west and escaping accountability?

Baird: “After Iraq, President Obama and other European leaders were so desperate to make diplomacy work rather than military force. What we need is leadership. The weakness in 2009 in not standing up for the Iranian people will go down in history as a lost opportunity. We must do all we can to stand up for what’s right. We need leadership. That is what Madam Rajavi is trying to provide.”

Sen. Torricelli: “The people are realizing that this regime will not moderate. The regime’s behavior is also deteriorating all the time.”

What can we do to show there’s a democratic alternative? How do we find that next gear in Washington?

Giuliani: “In the past year, the regime has become more frightened and irrational. Striking the drone and what they’re doing with the tankers, maybe they want us to attack them and they hope that it would rally the people behind them. We’re so reluctant to take military action, and the world would also react badly, that the mullahs could push us along if they engaged diplomatically. But their poking their finger in our eye.”

“I think the mullahs are going to fall, with these protests going on, the crazy things they are doing. I think they are desperate. What they are doing sounds like a regime that is not thinking in clever ways.”

Let’s assume the Iranians will continue to lash out desperately. What’s your advice in Washington for a legitimate response?

Amb. Joseph: “One of the things we need to do is recognize that revolutions are very messy. What is missing in those revolutions is a viable alternative that would be beneficial not only to the Iranian people but also to the U.S. and the world in general.”

“What we need to do is to think strategically and integrate our tools in an effective strategy. The only solution to the nuclear issue in Iran is regime change and the viable alternative is a key component to that.”

“I spoke to many people in Ashraf. The sacrifices that the members of MEK in Ashraf have endured are many. But they do not have a sense of revenge. That, I think, will deliver the people of Iran their freedom.”

Do we have the ability to select surgical targets as an acceptable response?

Prof. Sheehan: “What unifies us here in this panel and this room is that the mullahs are not irrational when it comes to one thing, which is their fear of the organized resistance. What I wish U.S. officials knew is the democratic aspirations and inclinations of the Iranian people, which run very, very deep. The Iranian people are not the slightest bit irrational. I have come to appreciate how sophisticated and educated they are. I have come to appreciate that the NCRI’s platform and Madam Rajavi’s plan is the future of Iran. That’s the viable alternative that we need Washington to realize.”

People have been in the streets since the late 2017. They are admitting that the MEK and NCRI are organizing the demonstrations. Are we making progress here?

Giuliani: “The fact that the protests continue is a very good sign even though the regime has tried to harm them. The biggest frustration is getting the European governments to do the right thing. Whatever their economic interests and fear, we should all be together in eliminating this regime. We have to keep up the pressure, try to put more sanctions. And the important point is, some of these revolutions have happened without an alternative. Here you do not have to let that happen. We must get Americans to understand that there is an alternative and let them see it.”

On Tuesday, the Washington Times published a special report about last month’s Free Iran Rally in Washington, D.C. where thousands of MEK supporters rallied outside of the State Department to call for the international community to impose sanctions on the Iranian regime and to recognize the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its leader, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, as the democratic alternative to the theocratic dictatorship currently ruling in power.

#WashingtonTimes Special Report on #FreeIran 2019 March by #MEK Supporters
The #Washington Times has published a several page special report about the June 21, 2019 'Free Iran' march at the State Department and the #WhiteHouse in Washington DC. https://t.co/1JysxmK5tj pic.twitter.com/RTmOcpKj6l

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 10, 2019

The report from the Washington Times included excerpts from some of the speeches given and messages sent by American politicians and dignitaries. The following are some of the highlights from their remarks:

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA)

“This regime may be on its last legs. It is acting with desperation — desperate to distract people from its own corruption.”

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)

“Your fortitude and courage are inspiring the admiration and support of people around the world. And even through the difficulty and danger of the present, you are already writing the next chapter of human civilization.”

Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.)

“So, keep up your fight. Keep up your resistance. Keep up your hope. Keep up your courage. Your voices for freedom are heard. The American people and America stands behind you and the Iranian people, stronger than ever before.”

Former Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)

“We need a new regime and that regime is you, the MEK, NCRI, the alternative.”

“What you represent is the future. And you have international support. You’re on the right side of history.”

Former Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)

“The reality is the mullahs will never change; they will develop nuclear weapons, they will spread terror, they will never let the Iranian people go. We need regime change and we need it now.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

“Thank you for your commitment to support the Iranian people. Your continued perseverance and support of a democratically free Iran is an inspiration to the world.”

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

“I share your vision for a better future for Iran and all Iranians. A future in which all Iranians live without fear and enjoy a government that represents the will of its citizens, respects human rights, abides by the rule of law and lives in peace and cooperation with its neighbors.”

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)

“I am delighted to know that you are standing with my sister Maryam [Rajavi], the president of this great organization who clearly appreciates the need for religious tolerance, separation of Mosque and State, gender equality and, of course, support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and freedom for all Iranians.”

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)

“I full-heartedly support Free Iran’s efforts to peacefully transform Iran into a more just nation that respects the rights of all Iranians. May there one day be free and fair democratic elections in Iran.”

Rep. Van Taylor (R-TX)

“I look forward to a time where we have a regime in Iran that no longer sponsors terror, which no longer oppresses its own citizens and takes away their civil rights.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)

“We look forward to the opportunity at some point in the future to make your dreams, your hope for peace more of a reality. When you have leaders who are not all about themselves but are about the people of whom they lead.”

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)

“As everyday Iranians have expressed outrage over their government’s misplaced priorities, the U.S. should recognize the inherent right of these everyday Iranians and their noble quest for a better future and free, peaceful nation.”

Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX)

“For too long, Iranian citizens have been oppressed by a radical and corrupt government that has prioritized the proliferation of violence and terrorism over the well-being of its own people.”

Staff writer

Mohammed Mohaddessin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), gave the closing remarks at Berlin’s Free Iran Rally on Saturday. In his fiery address, he saluted the MEK and Iranian Resistance for their determination, urged the European Union to expel agents of the MOIS, and challenged proponents of the policy of appeasement.

“Your presence in this weather shows your great determination for the downfall of this regime, for the overthrow of this regime. I salute all of you,” Mr. Mohaddessin said to the 15,000 MEK supporters gathered in the rain.

Addressing #Berlin rally: Your strong presence here today, under this shower is a sign of your determination for #IranRegimeChange. It shows that the #Iran-ian regime has no legitimacy because you are the voice of the Iranian people& voice their quest for a #FreeIran. pic.twitter.com/jQdTv0IYEH

— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) July 6, 2019

Mohaddessin vowed that the leaders of the Iranian Resistance would not give up or “give a single inch” until Iran was free.

“The world must hear our voice. This regime lacks any legitimacy. You are the true representatives of the Iranian people. The people of Iran cannot come to the streets and show their objections, but you are representing those people of Iran and their will for the downfall of the regime and the establishment of a free and democratic Iran under the leadership of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.”

Expel Agents of the MOIS

Mr. Mohaddessin also stressed that the European Union must take decisive action against the regime’s Ministry of Security and Intelligence (MOIS) agents, warning that not to do so would make them complicit in the regime’s misdeeds.

“The mercenaries of the Iranian regime and the agents of the MOIS must be put on trial and expelled from Europe,” Mohaddessin said. “They are the cause of instability and terror in Europe. They must be expelled,” he added.

Finally, to those who under the guise of opposing the war, are trying to rescue &prolong the lifetime of the ruling theocracy in #Iran, we say, the only solution to end the war, violence, and crisis in the region is #IranRegimeChange

— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) July 6, 2019

 

No Justification for Appeasement

Mohaddessin concluded by addressing those who use their fear of war to justify appeasement of the mullahs. “The time of these games has ended,” he said. “The only true way is the overthrow of the regime for the Iranian people and the region.”

.@iran_policy Berlin – Brandenburger Tor – Free Iran Rally, 6 July 2019 #FreeIran #IStandWithMaryamRajavi #BlackListRouhani https://t.co/hstm33de6E

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

Staff writer

On Saturday, July 6, 2019, in continuation of “Free Iran rallies”, more than 15000 thousands supporters of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK / PMOI) held a massive and impressive demonstration in Berlin.

Berlin-Free Iran rally supported the uprising of the Iranian people and the struggle of MEK resistance units “to overthrow the clerical religious dictatorship and the establishment of democracy and people’s sovereignty, and expressed their support for the PMOI/MEK, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its President-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, and her 10 point plan for future Iran.” reported the NCR-iran.org

Prominent politicians such as Patrick Kennedy, Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian presidential candidate, Thomas Nord, German Member of Parliament, Eduard Lintner, former German deputy Interior Minister, Senator Jerry Horgan of Ireland, Michał Kamiński Polish Member of Parliament, and Leo Dassenberg, chairman of the Free Iran’s Committee in Germany and a former member of the federal parliament, spoke at the rally.

Ingrid Betancourt – Former Senator-Colombian Presidential Candidate

Ms. Betancourt referenced the raining weather, saying,

“No shower will deter us from saying what we came here to say, which is to Khamenei: “We want to tell Khamenei, we’re coming for you. We want to hold you accountable for all the people you murdered because they were longing for freedom, justice, and democracy.”

https://twitter.com/4FreedominIran/status/1147565707099561987

Ms. Betancourt spoke against the policy of appeasement, saying, “We are here to say to our governments in Europe that we don’t want any more agreements and concessions with the corrupt and criminal government of the mullahs.”

She also reiterated the fact that support for the Iranian Resistance is not a political issue: “We are here to defend our values and principles, and it doesn’t matter where we stand, left or right. The fight of the Iranian Resistance is our fight,” she emphasized.

The mullahs kill physically,but they also kill morally through defamation.We know the people we stand with.These are the people who R fighting with the criminals.Don’t get it wrong
You can’t change the truth by writing articles#IstandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #BlackListRouhani pic.twitter.com/dm0LW6SioO

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

Betancourt discussed the regime’s demonization campaign against the MEK and encouraged Western media not to play into the mullahs’ hands by falling for their propaganda. She specifically condemned a recent attack on the MEK by Der Spiegel that a German tribunal found to be libelous.

“The mullahs kill physically, but they also kill morally through defamation,” she stressed. “We know the people we stand with. These are the people who are fighting with criminals. Don’t get it wrong. You can’t change the truth by writing articles.”

Betancourt concluded her speech with scathing criticism of the New York Times for its false portrayal of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as having support from the Iranian people. The article also claimed the IRGC had renounced its hardline religious beliefs and had not suffered a loss of power due to U.S. sanctions.

That is a lie! Not only is [the #IRGC] criticized by the people, but they are also facing division in their ranks because they don’t have money to pay their ranks and to finance their war in the middle east.This is the beginning of the end of the mullahs’ regime#BlackListRouhani pic.twitter.com/8VgrLCWfvp

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

“This is a lie! Not only is [the IRGC] criticized by the people, but they are also facing division in their ranks because they don’t have money to pay their ranks and to finance their war in the Middle East. This is the beginning of the end of the mullahs’ regime,” Ms. Betancourt said.

“The Iranian regime is a religious dictatorship. It is a threat to the world and is trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. We must do whatever we can to prevent the regime from acquiring a nuclear bomb to endanger world peace.”

Thomas Nord Member of German Bundestag

Mr. Norde said that he shared the concerns that have been voiced by others about war in Iran. He said that war is not the answer for Iran. He pointed to the solution provided by Mrs. Rajavi. Norde agreed with her that “the solution is in the hands of the Iranian people and the Resistance who are standing up and fighting against this regime. Democracy and freedom cannot be exported to Iran. The people have risen for freedom and democracy.”

“There are many politicians and journalists who go to Iran and spread lies. We must stand up against these. We must support the will of the Iranian people and their struggle for freedom,” Mr.@NordMdb concluded.#IstandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #BlackListRouhani pic.twitter.com/usSMXE4UH9

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

Norde spoke of the anti-regime uprisings that took place last year. “Last year thousands of men and women took to the streets of Iran, demonstrating for the rights of women and for the freedom of thousands of political prisoners.”

“They take great risks to stand up against the regime. They risk their lives for the freedom of their country. We support them and we condemn the acts of the regime,” the German Bundestag Member continued.#IstandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #BlackListRouhani pic.twitter.com/M5AQTGmeKu

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

“They take great risks to stand up against the regime. They risk their lives for the freedom of their country, and that is why they are worthy of attaining freedom. We support those who have been tortured in the regime’s prisons and we condemn the acts of the regime,” he added.

“We must support the will of the Iranian people and their struggle for freedom. We express our solidarity with the Iranian Resistance,” he concluded.

Staff writer

Rep. Kennedy noted the setting of the rally at the historic Brandenburg Gate and its parallels to the Iranian people’s current struggle for freedom. “We are at a historic point in history when it comes to the freedom of the people of Iran,” he said. “This is not just a problem for Iranians to solve, it’s a problem for anyone in the world who cherishes freedom and democracy and who hates the tyrannical regime of the mullahs in Iran.”

.@PJK4brainhealth:“Crimes against humanity are happening today, and it’s the mullahs in Tehran who are the fascist dictators today. Iran is the single leading nation in the world for executing their own people.
#IstandWithMaryamRajavi #FreeIran #BlackListRouhani pic.twitter.com/azISmJlUsI

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

“Crimes against humanity are happening today, and it’s the mullahs in Tehran who are the fascist dictators,” Kennedy said.

“Iran is the single leading nation in the world for executing their own people. Not only are they sowing terrorism amongst their own people in Iran, but they are also sowing terrorism across the world,” Representative Kennedy added.

Kennedy expressed his support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran(MEK / PMOI) and spoke about what his experience in politics taught him about the mullahs’ attacks on the MEK: “When the MEK continues to get attacked every day, it reminds me that the mullahs cannot attack the MEK on the 10-point plan offered by Madam Rajavi, or on the assertion that Iran is the leading sponsor of state terrorism, or that the mullahs support Hezbollah and Hamas in Syria. It can’t attack the MEK because the MEK is right and the mullahs are wrong,” he said.

When the MEK continues 2 get attacked on all sides,it means that the mullahs cannot attack the MEK on the 10-point plan by @Mada_Rajavi, or on the assertion that Iran is the leading state-sponsor of terrorism,or that the regime or Iran support Hamas & Hezbollah.#BlackListRouhani pic.twitter.com/7lngVESA48

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) July 6, 2019

Representative Kennedy also addressed the partisan nature of support for U.S. sanctions and encouraged his fellow Democrats to look past their dislike of Trump in their consideration of sanction: “There are many on the Democratic left who believe that because they do not like Trump they have to be against sanctions on Iran…I do not believe that this is the time for us to let up on the financial stranglehold on the mullahs,” he said. “The economy is crashing, inflation is spiking. The mullahs can’t support their regime when we cut off the supply of money they use to continue to control their people. We need to keep sanctions going strong until we bring down this horrible dictatorship.”

Staff writer

The President-elect of the Iranian opposition, Maryam Rajavi delivered a video address to the huge crowd of the supporters of the MEK in Berlin rally, calling on the need for a firm policy towards the Iranian regime.

Did the history of Germany and other European nations not teach the world what a heavy and bloody price humanity has to pay for appeasement of fascism? #FreeIran #Iran pic.twitter.com/KB5Hn9Xzpo

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 6, 2019

“In this grand demonstration, the message to the world and the message to Europe, in particular, is this: stop the policy of giving concessions to the religious dictatorship. The policy of protecting the mullahs against being overthrown does not solve any of the problems of this regime.”

Isn’t 40 years enough for espousing the mirage of reform and the myth of moderation and reform in the clerical regime? #Iran #FreeIran#Berlin

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 6, 2019

Mrs. Rajavi pointed out that thirty years of dialogue with the mullahs has led the regime to this terminal phase. She asked if the recent acts of belligerence were not enough to change the policy toward the regime.

Mrs. Rajavi discussed the foiled 2018 bombing of the Free Iran rally outside of Paris. German police arrested a regime diplomat for masterminding the attack and personally delivering the explosives which were to be used in the bombing. Before and after this, dozens of mercenaries of the MOIS were arrested and tried by the German judiciary for terrorist acts. “The question is why such significant incidents do not bring any change in Germany’s policy toward the Iranian regime.”

 

Mrs. Rajavi reiterated that the Iranian people do not want Western military intervention to overthrow the mullahs. “It is the job of the Army of Freedom and no one else,” she said.

The religious fascism in #Iran is the greatest threat to peace in the world today. #FreeIranhttps://t.co/5k19YZDpgI pic.twitter.com/seMvsKBStT

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 6, 2019

“But what we must urge is that no one else keep the mullahs in power,” she added. Mrs. Rajavi enumerated some of the ways that the policy of appeasement has helped the mullahs maintain their power. The regime has avoided facing accountability for its actions, its embassies remain open, and its agents act without consequences.

 

Mrs. Rajavi called on Angela Merkel to stand up for human rights by forming a delegation to visit Iranian prisons and to insist that human rights declarations be enforced.

 

Mrs. Rajavi called on the international community to recognize the Iranian people’s right to overthrow the religious regime and to specifically recognize the NCRI as the democratic alternative to the clerical dictatorship.

Mrs. Rajavi further called on the United Nations to take action on behalf of the Iranian people. “The dossier of the abuses of prisoners in the 1988 massacre of Iran must be forwarded to the United Nations Security Council,” she said.

“The United Nations Security Council must declare that the Iranian regime poses a global threat to peace and security,” she added.

 

Mrs. Rajavi concluded, “Yes, with the nation determined to overthrow the mullahs’ regime, your passion, and love of freedom, and with the resolve of Resistance Units in the battle waged by the Army of Freedom, Iran will be free! Iran will be free!”

Staff writer