Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, October 16, 2020—Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) hosted an online conference in the British Parliament on Thursday, October 15, focusing on the regime’s support for international terrorism that continues to undermine global security to this day.
British Members of Parliament and Irish politicians joined the virtual event alongside many Iranians from various countries to weigh in on the fact that the mullahs’ ruling Iran pose a significant threat to international security and this is especially true considering the mullahs’ terror plots in the Green Continent.
The conference took place while Asadollah Assadi, a senior Iranian regime diplomat-terrorist, is on trial in Belgium facing charges of planning a bomb-plot targeting a 2018 Iranian opposition gathering in Paris. Assadi literally provided the necessary explosives to the team that sought to carry out the terrorist attack. All three were eventually arrested by European authorities.
Such dangerous threats posed by the regime ruling Iran continue to this very day, and the attendants of Thursday’s conference highlighted the need for the international community to adopt a firm policy to address and properly confront this dire matter.
In his speech at the conference, Former MEP Struan Stevenson highlighted the key role that Iranian regime leadership plays in orchestrating terrorist plots and attacks across the world. “In June 2018, Iranian regime foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was responsible for a bombing attempt against the Free Iran rally of the NCRI,” he said.
Stevenson also stressed that the Paris bombing event was not an isolated case of the regime’s diplomatic apparatus being involved in terrorism. “These are not the only terror plots that bear the fingerprint of Zarif. Another regime terrorist was caught in Denmark, two others were expelled from the Netherlands. They have operated in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Turkey,” he said. “We should close all of Iran's embassies and expel all their diplomats. Regime leaders should be indicted for crimes against humanity and brought to trial by criminal courts. The EU and UN must stop its appeasement of the mullahs’ regime.”
In a written message to the conference, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said, “Human rights, freedom and the desire of the Iranian people for change and establishment of a republic based on universal suffrage is at the core of the Iranian issue. Ignoring these dimensions runs not only against the interests of the Iranian people, but would also undermine the security of the Middle East, Europe and the entire world. Sadly, neglecting these vital dimensions has shaped the core of the policies of the European countries towards Iran.”
Madam Rajavi stressed that suppression of the people of Iran on the one hand, and warmongering and export of terrorism on the other, are the two pillars for the regime’s survival, and it is the policy of appeasement that has emboldened the mullahs and given them free rein to conduct terrorism abroad and carry out suppression at home.
Rajavi said: “On behalf of the Iranian Resistance, I call on parliaments in Europe, particularly both legislative chambers in the UK and the parliament of Ireland, to take the lead in adopting a new policy towards Iran: Human rights for the people of Iran, a comprehensive embargo against the religious dictatorship, and recognition of the Iranian people's Resistance for freedom and democracy.”
MP Bob Blackman reminded the audience that it has been proven time and again that the regime will not moderate its behavior and terrorism is an inseparable part of its policies. “We were promised that [Hassan] Rouhani is a moderate. The reality is, under Rouhani’s tenure, terrorism has increased and human rights has deteriorated in Iran. We must proscribe the IRGC in its entirety as a terrorist organization. The regime’s terrorism has reached Europe and the time to act is now. I urge our government to proscribe the IRGC, implement a pressure policy and encourage our European allies to do so as well. We must end the supply of arms to this terrorist regime,” he said.
Other speakers at the event called for more decisive and firm measures by the UK and European Union toward the regime’s terrorism. Many called for the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to be designated as a foreign terrorist entity and be dealt with as such. Accordingly, the only way to deal with the regime is to stand with the Iranian people and their resistance movement, others highlighted.
“There must be a coordinated European response to the regime. A necessary step is to designate the regime’s leaders and institutions like IRGC and MOIS as terrorist entities. The UK must abandon the policy of appeasement and back the opposition,” MP Toby Perkins said.
The speakers also called for tougher measures on the regime’s human rights abuses, especially the slaughter of protesters and the execution of political prisoners.
“I find it incredible that our countries participate in dialogue with such countries that don’t respect their own people. The international community has turned a blind eye to the regime’s terrorism and acquiesced to the regime,” said Sir Alan Meale. “The regime continues the rule of terror. Last November, 1,500 protesters were killed by the regime. The regime ordered one of its own diplomats to carry out the bombing of the opposition gathering in Paris. It shows that democratic countries should have nothing to do with this regime. I call all governments in the free world to do whatever necessary to support the opposition, in particular Madam Rajavi.”
“Relations with Iran must be contingent to the end of executions and the release of political prisoners. Iranian diplomats who facilitate terrorism must be expelled. We must stand up to them and support the Iranian Resistance and Maryam Rajavi,” former MEP Anthea McIntyre said.
