On July 12, 2019, dignitaries from dozens of countries across the world attended an exhibition in Ashraf 3, Albania, which depicted 120 years of resistance for freedom and democracy in Iran. The exhibition was part of the five-day Free Iran 2019 event at the main headquarters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Following the exhibition, a conference was held, in which several of the visitors delivered speeches, issuing remarks about the struggles of the Iranian people and their resistance movement for freedom in their country.
Following are key remarks by former Colombian Senator and Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt at the Ashraf 3 conference.
Ingrid Betancourt:
Thank you, so much, for this event. Maryam, it’s such a moving moment for all of us. I was here six months ago and I couldn’t even dream that now six months later I would be seeing what you’ve done with this place. I mean it’s just amazing the buildings, the trees, the landscape, the roads. And I want to congratulate every one of you Ashrafis, Ashraf residents, because I kind of feel very proud of being your friend. And I’m proud because I have seen the sacrifice you have made. Not only the sacrifice of so many people that we’ve seen in the exhibition, the lives, children, women, that could be our children, could be part of our families, that took the decision to confront the tyranny of the dictatorship and that paid the highest price with their lives to allow all of us to be free in this world.
This sacrifice today is bearing its first fruits. We see it here as a token here in this city of Ashraf 3. Because we understand that what we see as a miracle in the middle of nowhere to construct this amazing site means I know what you’re going to be able to construct in Iran when we will see you coming back. And I have been with you for a couple of years and I have been observing your organization. And every time I am amazed not only in the solidarity, the values and the principles you have but also in the political savviness, in the prudence, in the wisdom that you share in all the organization. And I have to say that as a woman, I feel very, very proud because I think that in the world there’s no organization like the MEK that gives to woman, that leadership in that place.
And your victory is our victory. And we know that very soon we will be with you in Tehran and we will be putting the flag, the Iranian flag, with the flag of justice and of democracy. And we will thank you for that.
