Reported by PMOI/MEK
June 21, 2018 – As more dignitaries across the globe add their voice in support of the Iranian people’s struggle to reach freedom and democracy, 140 elected officials in Belgium are placing their weight behind an upcoming convention scheduled for June 30th in Paris.
These elected officials, from Belgium’s Federal Parliament, Senate, Members of the European Parliament and state parliaments, are expressing solidarity with the Iranian Diaspora and their efforts to hold the annual convention calling for regime change and to stand alongside the Iranian people’s ongoing protests and uprisings across the country.
The Belgian elected officials in their statement demanded from their government to hinge their relations with the Iranian regime on a complete halt to executions and human rights violations in Iran.
“As a politician elected by the people of Belgium, we believe the world must take the Iranian people’s demand for democracy very seriously,” said Dirk Claes, Chair of the Belgian Committee of Parliamentarians and Mayors for a Free Iran.
The Belgian elected officials’ statement reads:
Support Iranian People’s Demands for Democratic Change
June 19, 2018
We are deeply concerned about the suppression of the nationwide uprisings in Iran at the beginning of this year. The backlash by the “Islamic Republic” has been violent. Dozens were killed on the streets and at least 14 have died under torture. Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the deaths in custody. The head of Iran’s prisons organization confirmed the arrest of 5,000 protesters.
The human rights situation has deteriorated in the wake of the recent protests. Iran continues to carry out the highest number of executions per capita globally. According to Amnesty International Global Report, more than half of all recorded executions in 2017 were carried out in Iran.
The people of Iran, especially the younger generation, have made it clear that they are fed up with Islamic fundamentalist rule and want democratic change. Many chanted “down with the dictator,” “down with Khamenei” and “down with Rouhani.” Women played an active role in the protests.
According to the French news agency on 2 January, Iranian President Rouhani called President Macron and asked him to take action against the Paris-based Iranian opposition, which he accused of fomenting the recent protests. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, also said that the PMOI had organized the uprising, and implicitly threatened to execute the protesters. A judiciary official has publicly called for the execution of demonstrators for ‘waging war against God.’
We condemn the use of force against the defenceless protesters and call on Belgium and EU governments to adopt effective measures and binding decisions to compel the regime to release the prisoners of the uprising, uphold freedom of expression and association, end repression against women and especially annul the compulsory ‘Hijab’ for women.
We call on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up a fact-finding mission to investigate the situation of Iran’s prisons and political prisoners, especially those arrested during the uprising and those who died in detention.
Human rights and women’s rights in Iran cannot be compromised or marginalized on the pretext of political considerations, trade or the nuclear deal. Any expansion of political and economic relations with Iran must be conditional upon a clear progress on human rights, women’s rights and a halt to executions.
For more information about this year’s #FreeIran convention go to this website.