El Pais daily (Spain), 21 Dec 2012
Interview with Maryam Rajavi in Madrid

Maryam Rajavi is in Spain to promote her cause amongst Members of Parliament, saying popular support inside Iran is a source of legitimacy for this resistance.
“Our movement has roots in Iran’s society. The regime has executed 120,000 members and supporters of this resistance including college students, laborers, Bazaar merchants and various others from all walks of life in Iran.
“This resistance surpassed a vicious crackdown, and despite that was able to expand throughout Iran’s society.”

In response to El Pais’ question regarding how the PMOI was able to be delisted from the European Union and United States’ blacklists, Maryam Rajavi said: “It was very difficult. We went to nearly 20 courts and won in all of them. At the same time there was a legal and political campaign with MPs and political dignitaries. Many of them had access to classified intelligence in their own countries and were able to use their own personal information to tell the courts that this labeling has no basis and foundation.”

El Pais asked how were you able to gather around you a list of powerful friends such as former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar or Patrick Kennedy.
“What motivates us is our effort for freedom and democracy. We first went to European MPs and then the US House of Representatives and Senate, then gained the attention of those officials who had witnessed the failure of the appeasement policy towards the mullahs. They were looking for a solution to the Iran crisis, and when they saw a movement exists with such a large scope and clear goals for a democratic society, they became interested,” Maryam Rajavi said.

El Pais asked it appears your agenda is in line to gain the West’s consent, consisting of separation of church and state, rejecting nuclear weapons, respecting human rights and eliminating discrimination against women.
“This has been prepared in line with the need of the Iranian people, especially women, the youth and all people in general that are suffering so much from this dictatorship. Iranians never wish to have the mullahs above the law. People want freedom and democracy, and until women are not able to participate at least 50% in political leadership, they will not reach that democracy. We want a non-nuclear Iran living in peace and cooperation with all countries in the region,” she added.

Regarding the resistance network inside Iran, Maryam Rajavi showed the pictures of three individuals executed for their activities during the 2009 and 2010 uprisings inside the country.
“Supporters of the resistance who have influence inside the ruling system have been able to discover the regime’s secret nuclear facilities and disclose them, with many of them paying the heavy price of being arrested and executed,” Maryam Rajavi continued.

“The Iranian Resistance for the first time revealed the regime’s clandestine nuclear sites and program in 2002. In our opinion, neither appeasement nor foreign military intervention is the solution. However, there is a third solution for the Iranian people and their organized resistance to topple this regime. This is the only solution for the nuclear crisis,” she added.
“The mullahs’ regime continues to defy the international community and crackdown on the people, and our people will rise like Syria because the mullahs are much more bloodthirsty than Bashar Assad who they are supporting.
“If the international community upholds a firm policy against this regime, the Iranian people and resistance will be able to use various methods to bring about regime change,” Maryam Rajavi said.