Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, October 9, 2020—On the occasion of the International Day against the Death Penalty, the Iranian community in Germany organized a large virtual conference titled, “Executions Means of Keeping Power” on Thursday, October 8.
The conference’s main rally point outside the German Bundestag in Berlin was connected to hundreds of places around the world via the internet. Dozens of German distinguished personalities and MPs attended the conference.
This was the third virtual conference organized by the Iranian Resistance in the past weeks, highlighting the mullahs’ domestic repression and calling on the international community to take action.
The first conference was held on Friday, September 18 in Ashraf 3, home to 3,000 members of the Iranian opposition the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and in connection with 10,000 places around the world. During this online event a bipartisan group of 22 high-ranking members of the U.S. House of Representatives and nine senators expressed their support for the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and democracy, and emphasized the necessity to adopt a strong policy vis-a-vis the clerical regime ruling Iran.
In following, on Wednesday, October 7, a virtual conference titled, “Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity – EU political and moral obligations,” was held in the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels with the participation of 33 MEP’s from various political groups, members of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Human Rights, and European personalities to discuss Iran policy and relevant “political and ethical obligations” of Western powers. The conference sought “human rights for the Iranian people, a comprehensive boycott of the religious dictatorship in Iran, and the recognition of the Iranian people’s resistance for freedom and democracy.”
In these conferences, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was the keynote speaker. The events focused on executions in Iran as the mullahs’ main instrument of suppression. It is worth noting that these initiatives have been organized during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even in such circumstance, the Iranian Resistance has increased its activities.
Simultaneously inside Iran, the MEK has expanded its anti-regime campaign through its internal network, known as the Resistance Units.
The Resistance Units’ tireless daily activities, aiming to break the regime’s suppression, are a boost of morale and motivation for Iran’s defiant and rebellious youths. This is while after the November 2019 nationwide protests, regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and its president Hassan Rouhani have sought to use the coronavirus outbreak as a tool to spread despair and establish fear in the society by increasing suppressive measure while controlling the powder-keg situation.
German MPs weigh on Iran’s status quo
The explosive state of Iran’s society was extensively highlighted in the speeches of German MPs and personalities during the October 8 conference. Due to the MEK’s constant activities and revelations of Iran’s human rights situation, many German MPs and distinguished speakers expressed their full support for the Iranian Resistance and consider themselves as part of the Iranian people’s historic struggle for freedom, democracy, and gender equality.
In her message to the conference Prof. Rita Suessmuth, German Federal Parliament Speaker (1988-1998) said, “The people of Iran are suffering from both the coronavirus and the brutal religious dictatorship. The execution of Navid Afkari has once again made it clear to us what an inhuman and extremist regime we are dealing with in Iran. His brothers are still being tortured. I stand by the side of his mother. This injustice won’t last.”
Hermann-Josef Scharf, Vice President of the Christian Democrat Party in the Saarland State Assembly also addressed the conference. “The mullahs’ regime is evil and against humanity. But words are not going to be enough. The EU and UN have the means to use sanctions against human rights violations. All these mechanisms must be used. The regime murders because it is weak, and we must use all the pressure we can against it. The regime is also spreading propaganda to remove attention from the Iranian Resistance,” he stressed.
Martin Patzelt, member of the German Bundestag and reporter of the Human Rights Commission on Iran, once again expressed his support for the Iranian Resistance. “The NCRI has hoped for many years to see a free Iran, and this is why we stand with you and support your ten-point program. The future of Iran must be democratic. The NCRI wants to rebuild Iran. The NCRI favors freedom of religion,” the German MP highlighted.
“Those who try to pretend there is no alternative to Iran are liars. There is a solution: It is you, the people here. You are a solution for the future of Iran, and I support you,” said Leo Dautzenberg, former member of the German Bundestag.
Madam Rajavi sympathized with families of martyrs and victims of mullahs crimes in her speech.
“We must not let ambivalence towards these atrocities continue as the mullahs wish. We must not allow the execution of courageous youths in Iran become normal and routine. We must arouse global outrage against the regime for every execution. We must not let political prisoners and dozens of combatant youths who are presently on the death row feel no one is supporting them,” the NCRI President-elect explained.
We must not let ambivalence towards these atrocities continue as the mullahs wish. We must not allow the execution of courageous youths in #Iran become normal and routine. We must arouse global outrage against the regime for every execution. https://t.co/sOrDm2gYrH
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 8, 2020
“Yes, they are backed by the people of Iran, the protesters, the Resistance Units, and all combatants of freedom. They are backed by every freedom loving Iranian who wants to bring to end hangings, torture, and repression. They can rely on this resistance which struggles to free Iran from tyranny and from religious and sexual enslavement. It struggles for an Iran where the death penalty is abolished and freedom, democracy, and justice reign supreme. Our people urge the international community to compel the clerical regime to free all detained protesters and all political prisoners,” Madam Rajavi concluded.
