DEBATE WITH THE LEADER OF THE IRANIAN RESISTANCE, MYRIAM RJAVI, ON THE UPRISING OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE

On October 5, 2022, when nineteen consecutive days of protests in the streets of Iran were fulfilled, several MEPs had the opportunity to hold a meeting with Myriam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Ms. Rajavi assured that “today, Iran is on the brink of change. The true goal of men and women in Iran is the change of the regime and the establishment of a free and democratic republic, based on the separation of religion and state.”

Ms. Rajavi denounced that “the people of Iran expect more than words of condemnation or sympathy from European countries” and called on the member states of the European Union to close the regime’s embassies, withdraw their ambassadors from Iran and submit any economic relationship with the regime at the end of the repression and the release of all political prisoners.

During the meeting, Mr. Javier Zarzalejos, co-chair of the Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI) intergroup, thanked Ms. Rajavi for her explanations and highlighted the courage of the Iranian people, especially women, during the demonstrations that are taking place in Iran these days. He reiterated his support for the Iranian resistance in exile led by Ms. Rajavi and the support of the entire European Parliament for the Iranian women’s protest that “is not only against the compulsory hijab, but refers to the systematic and serious violations of their fundamental rights that the Iranian people have been suffering for decades”. In this sense, Zarzalejos stressed the firmness of the resolution approved the following day by the European Parliament, which should enable new actions to be promoted to demand respect for human rights in Iran.