On April 9, a conference titled “Torch-bearers of Change: Supporting the Long Struggle of Women in Iran” was held at the European Parliament in Brussels chaired by MEP Radka Maxová, Deputy Chair of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament. At this conference representatives of the European people delivered speeches in support of the struggle of the Iranian people for freedom.
MEP Radka Maxová highlighted the dire situation faced by women and girls in Iran, where they are treated as second-class citizens and subjected to systemic discrimination and violence. She cited reports from the UN special rapporteur on Iran and the UN FACT mission, which documented executions, human rights violations, and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the regime, particularly targeting women and girls.
Despite these challenges, the Czech MEP commended the resilience of Iranian women and girls who are organizing and leading resistance movements across the country. She stressed the importance of endorsing Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a democratic republic in Iran, which advocates for gender equality, separation of religion and state, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear Iran.
MEP Maxová called upon the European Council, Member States, and the Parliament to recognize the reality of Iranian women’s struggle and to take concrete actions to support their aspirations. She urged for greater accountability and prosecution of those responsible for human rights violations in Iran under existing UN mechanisms.
During the continuation of this session, Dorien Rookmaker, MEP from the Netherlands, pledged her unwavering support for Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a democratic Iran and urged concerted efforts to hold the regime accountable for its human rights abuses. She emphasized the importance of removing the oppressive regime in Iran and expressed confidence in the eventual triumph of democracy and freedom.
MEP Margarita de la Pisa Carrión from the Commission on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality expressed solidarity with the courageous women and girls of Iran who are at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and democracy.
MEP Carrión paid tribute to the acts of resistance carried out by women of the Iranian opposition, who have endured rape, torture, repression, and execution in their pursuit of justice. She praised their unwavering commitment to the cause, noting their continued presence on the front lines of protests.
In closing, MEP Carrión reiterated the importance of supporting the women of Iran and affirmed the commitment to working towards a free and democratic Iran.
The resistance of Iranian women against the misogynistic and inhumane regime of the mullahs and their pivotal role in bringing about fundamental change in Iran are widely supported by parliamentarians and activists of the equality movement.
During the International Conference in Paris on International Women’s Day, Ms. Dominique Attias, former President of the European Bar Association, praised the brave Iranian women and girls who have consistently stood against both the dictatorship of the Shah and the current regime and have fought against the oppressors of their time since the beginning of the Constitutional Revolution.
She said, “The Mullahs discredit themselves, ridicule themselves to face the indomitable force of Iranian women.
Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in a year, or more, it does not matter, of course, they will triumph. And until victory, until victory, we will be by their side to cry out,
‘Women, resistance and freedom.’”
In her online speech, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said, “Rebellious women in Iran address the regime: We are your nightmare, and know that you will be overthrown. Women prisoners from Evin without an iota of doubt or fear, with all our being, cry out: Tyrant, we will overthrow you.”
Drawing attention to the regime’s widespread misogyny and its parallels with its export of war and terrorism, Ms. Rajavi emphasized the stark reality of women’s resistance that has endured for the past 45 years, with tens of thousands of women enduring torture or execution in the pursuit of freedom for their people.
Mrs. Rajavi underscored their leadership as an essential prerequisite for liberating all people from authoritarianism and fundamentalism.
Mrs. Rajavi highlighted the unified stance of 400 female political figures worldwide, who, on International Women’s Day, emphasized their commitment to supporting the courageous women of Iran in their demand for regime change and the establishment of democracy, gender equality, and justice.
Concluding her address, Mrs. Rajavi reiterated the NCRI’s vision for the future of Iran, advocating for a democratic republic founded on the principles of the separation of religion and state, gender equality, the abolition of the death penalty, and the autonomy of nationalities. She emphasized the call for a non-nuclear Iran as a cornerstone of this vision.
