Anthea McIntyre MEP from UK, Vice Chair of British Conservative Party Anna Fotyga President of
“The people of Iran expect us from Europe to stand up for them, and not to ignore their suffering. We should side with the people of Iran and not with the brutal dictators in Iran. That I think is the clear message that should go out from us here today.

the European Parliament’s security and defense subcommittee, former minister of foreign affairs of Poland We have gathered on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, and we are absolutely delighted to have Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, with us. She is regarded as the number one enemy of the mullahs because she leads an antifundamentalist movement which believes in a tolerant and democratic Islam, a secular government for a free future for Iran and the abolition of the death penalty which is very important for us here in Europe. We should take a very close look at the record of the last 3 years under Rouhani: More people have been hanged under the so called “moderate” Rouhani than during the time of Ahmadinejad. Rouhani has not said a word against these executions. Indeed, he defends the death sentences as the rule of God. Religious and ethnic minorities are suppressed more than ever before. But EU policymakers have completely ignored these realities. They are advocating more trade and more business deals with this regime. Let us not forget that most of Iran’s economy is run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, not by ordinary Iranian businessmen. So the EU policy has encouraged the mullahs to continue their internal repression and to carry on crimes in Syria in support of Bashar Assad. Just one example is the complete failure of the international community to deal with the mass executions in Iran and in particular the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, mainly from the PMOI, in 1988. This frankly shames the free world. It is totally unacceptable for the EU to remain silent and continue business as usual with such a regime. Our High Representative Mrs. Mogherini must condemn the 1988 massacre as a crime against humanity. The people of Iran expect us from Europe to stand up for them, and not to ignore their suffering. We should side with the people of Iran and not with the brutal dictators in Iran.