/ staff writer
May 8, 2018— The Freedom Convention for Human Rights and Democracy was held on Saturday, May 5th in Washington, D.C. to support the national uprising of the Iranian people.
In this convention, delegates participated representing Iranian American communities from 40 states across the U.S., along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
In addition to supporting the Iranian people’s uprising, speakers emphasized the necessity of taking a firm policy against this regime and holding it accountable as the world record holder for executions per capita and the central banker of international terrorism.
Iranian opposition leader Maryam sent a video message praising the participants and referring to the hundreds of uprisings in recent months in .
“The Iranian people seek the overthrow of the clerical regime in its entirety. They are calling on the international community, in particular, the West, to support their uprising for the overthrow of the Iranian regime," she said.
While pointing to the billions inexcusably provided to the regime in the framework of the nuclear deal, said the Iranian Resistance had at the time called for a firm stance and unveiling Tehran’s enrichment activities.
“The necessity of evicting the regime from the entire Middle East” should “be a fundamental principle that needs to be included in any agreement,” and “any deal that neglects the Iranian people’s human rights would only encourage the regime to nonstop repression, executions and overriding of people’s rights".
A number of prominent bipartisan US Congress representatives sent messages expressing their solidarity with this convention and emphasized their support for the struggle of the Iranian people, and their resistance movement, toward establishing freedom and democracy in Iran.
These names include:
– Rep. Eliot Engel, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Relations Committee
– Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair of Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
– Judge Ted Poe, Chairman of Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
– Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations
– Rep. Lacy Clay
– Rep. Cohen, Co-Chair of the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus
– Rep. McClintock
Mayor Rudy Giuliani in his speech said, “We are not here as republican or democrat, but we are here because we love freedom. And we see it now symbolized by members of this movement…”
Gov. Richardson emphasized on the Iranian people's desire for a free, democratic, non-nuclear Iran living in peaceful coexistence with its neighbors.
Gov. Richardson also stressed the Iranian regime is nearing its end, praising the Iranian opposition and its leader, Mrs. , for the sacrifices they have made to realize freedom in .