PRESS RELEASE
Meeting over Iranian Women at the forefront of Change for Democracy and Equality
European Parliament Solidarity Group with Women for Free Iran formed
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, a meeting on ; Women in Iran `At the forefront of Change for Democracy and Equality`, initiated by a number of MEPs from different political groups of the European Parliament - chaired and co chaired by MEPs Eva-Britt Svensson President of the Women’s Rights Committee and Edit Bauer of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, was held in the EP.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was our especial guest speaker in this meeting.
In this meeting and with the presence of dozens of MEPs, the formation of “The European Parliament Solidarity Group with Women for a Free Iran” initiated by Mrs. Edit Bauer was announced.
The parliamentary Solidarity Group expressed its support for people’s uprising to establish a democratic state in Iran. It also noted the outstanding and leading role of women in the uprising to bring down the barbaric dictatorship to bring about fundamental changes in Iran.
The Euro MPs attending the session that was held in the run-up to the International Day of Women on March 8 reminded that last year the Iranian women, with their widespread participation in the anti-regime uprising, displayed new dimensions of women’s role to create social changes, in particular in the campaign against Islamic fundamentalism.
Members of the newly formed group condemned the clerical regime’s crimes against demonstrators, particularly women, who are subjected to the cruelest tortures such as gang rape. It called on the European Union to support Iranian people’s uprising to establish democracy, human rights and women’s rights. The Solidarity Group also called for pressures to be exerted on the Iranian regime to stop political executions and free all those detained during the uprising.
The meeting’s special guest, Mrs. Rajavi, underlined that women’s participation in the leadership has provided dynamism for persistence and progress in the resistance, and while rejecting any compromise with the clerical dictatorship - plays a formative role to bring down the regime.
Mrs. Rajavi reiterated that the litmus test of sincerity for claims defending people’s freedom is “Abolition of forced veiling. As far the regime is concerned, due to its inability to reform, it can never accept this demand. But, if anyone is truly seeking freedom for Iran, they must at least defend the minimum freedoms, including the minimum freedom for women to choose their own clothing. Any government, too, that comes to power after the mullahs must respect the principle that women’s choice of clothing lies with themselves and not the state.” This was ratified by the NCRI over two decades ago.
Pointing out the growing threats of the mullahs’ regime to peace and security in the region and the world and its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, Mrs. Rajavi said, “Today, the sweeping aside of the main obstacle to democracy and freedom in Iran and the elimination of the grave danger to global peace and security have both merged into a single issue. In order to contain this danger there is only one option; democratic change by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance.
Urging the United States and the EU to take specific and concrete actions for effective measures to counter the wave of arrests, suppression, kangaroo trials, sentencing as mohareb and execution of political prisoners;
Mrs. Rajavi proposed that a special European Parliament committee to be formed to address the barbaric and systematic violations of human rights in Iran, including the conditions of prisons, political prisoners, the families of prisoners and political activists and the families of the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq, where thousands of PMOI members reside.
In order to counterbalance the suppression of people in Iran, Mrs. Rajavi called on the EU Council of Ministers to shut down the IRGC's vast and active institutions in Europe that acts as its back up. She said the time has come for the EU to shut down the intelligence network of the mullahs' regime operating in various EU countries.
Ms. Eva-Britt Svensson, President of the Women’s Rights Committee who co-chaired the session, describe Mrs. Rajavi as a woman who has devoted her life to democracy, human rights and equality and added that she has played an important role in paving the way for Iranian women to lead the movement for democracy and equality. She reiterated that MEPs should play their role in exposing the crimes of the regime and expressing their support to the Iranian people’s uprising, particularly to the Iranian women.
Ms. Edit Bauer, MEP, outlined the fundamental rights Iranian women are deprived of. By referring to the widespread suppression of women she said that in recent months the popular uprising in Iran had inspired many and women played leading role in this uprising. She ended her remarks by announcing the formation of the European Parliament Solidarity Group with Women for Free Iran and invited MEPs attending the session to join the group.
Ms. Roberta Angelilli, Vice President of the European Parliament, thanked Mrs. Rajavi for visiting the Parliament and said that her presence offers the MEPs the opportunity to play their role in the campaign against human rights violations in Iran. She added: "We are all Iranians today and we consider ourselves part of the campaign against the dictatorship ruling Iran". Addressing Mrs. Rajavi, Ms. Angelilli said we fully support all your demands and we will continue with our activities to achieve them.
Mr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice President of the European Parliament, criticized the policy of appeasement towards the clerical regime and stressed that the solution is a direct action and the most important task today is to support the democratic opposition and give support to what the Iranian people are demanding inside the country. The EP position vis-à-vis Iran is the best and most efficient one among similar institutions. Therefore, we must play our role to rectify the policy of the European Union. He described the Iranian regime’s treatment of women as the most repulsive crime of the regime and welcomed the formation of the EP Solidarity Grou with Women for Free Iran calling it as a new line of action.
The rest of the speakers were: MEPs. Struan Stevenson, Edite ESTRELA , Barbara Matera, Sari ESSAYAH ,Mariya NEDELCHEVA, Anna ROSBACH, Romana JORDAN CIZELJ, Norica NICOLAI, who expressed their support for Iranian women, in their struggle for a democratic change in Iran.
The MEPs, reiterated the need for implementation of the April 24, 2009 EP resolution in support of Ashraf and the rights of its residents that are led by women, and condemned the pressures and plots against the residents by the clerical regime. They also expressed their support for the Iranian Resistance’s call on the EU Council to urge the United Nations to assume the responsibility of protection of Ashraf residents.
European Parliament Solidarity Group with Women for Free Iran
25 February 2010
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