IRAN: EUROPEANS CALL FOR RELEASE OF DETAINEES FOLLOWING RECENT PROTESTS AT LARGE CONFERENCE IN FRANCE

By INU Staff

INU - A large conference took place in France and was attended by dozens of political dignitaries and members of European Parliament. The speakers from all across Europe joined in solidarity with the people of Iran and spoke about how to move the situation forward. 

The speakers agreed that the situation in Iran was looking up because the people are making their voices heard, although they expressed their concern that the Iranian regime was still torturing, arresting and executing peaceful protesters.

Several of the speakers spoke about times of oppression in their own countries and remained positive that the people of Iran would have the same happy ending as they did. Romeo Nicoara of the Romanian Parliament said that his country was going through a similar situation around thirty years ago. Like the people of Iran, the Romanians protested against their regime and were brutally oppressed. However, he stressed, now the people of Romanian benefit from democracy – something that the people of Iran will soon get.

Numerous speakers also spoke about the role of women in the Iranian Resistance and praised Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Resistance, for leading in such an exemplary way.

aleria Cardinali, a Member of the Italian Parliament, said that the women of Iran see through example that women can have a rightful and equal place in society. Cardinali also called on Europe to recognise the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as a viable alternative to the brutal Iranian regime.

Speaking about European policy toward Iran, the lawmakers agreed that more action needs to be taken. Roger Lyons, former General Secretary of the largest union in Britain and former President of the Trade Union Congress, said that the UK government, and the European Union, need to stop dealing with Iran until it stops executing its people. He emphasised that expressions of solidarity are not enough – they must be turned into meaningful actions.

Mrs. Rajavi highlighted that thousands of people have been arrested and dozens of people killed or tortured to death by the regime, yet despite this the people are still taking to the streets to protest. These brave people will risk everything to ensure that their country sees great change. She said that this shows the force of the people and said that Iranian society has reached a turning point. The regime knows this and it is in a desperate situation.

“Thirty-nine years of bloodshed and crimes, discrimination against and suppression of women, repression and censorship is enough. Europe must end its silence and inaction and distance itself from the clerical regime. This regime has no future and appeasing it will only increase the price of freedom for the people of Iran. Appeasement will fuel more wars and crises in the region but of course, it cannot prevent the overthrow of the clerical regime by the people of Iran.”

Finally, Mrs. Rajavi urged the United Nations to set up an international commission to investigate the arrests and disappearances of Iranian protestors.

Iran's Future, In Its Own Words

On the very sensitive subject of how Iran plans to confront ongoing protests, described by some as an uprising, all the while attempting to resolve the very issues engulfing the ruling regime, there are critical concerns raising from various voices within.

And considering U.S. President Donald Trump's powerful State of the Union message, underscoring "America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom," the stakes at hand in the months ahead for Tehran are extremely high.

Iran's state-linked media are a good source, shedding significant and noteworthy light on the seemingly obscure nature of the Iranian regime.

The common tone heard in all such messages is hopelessness. Those loyal to the faction of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei see the solution in sacking the regime's president, Hassan Rouhani.

Arguments from the other side of the aisle in Tehran's politics rely on warning the Khamenei camp that such a scenario will not end the regime's escalating quandaries. This is only the beginning and there is no stopping this train, adding the entirety of this regime is in the crosshairs.

There are those who believe dark days await those sitting on the throne in Tehran, speaking of future uprising waves. Providing no solutions, their words can mean nothing but succumbing to an inevitable downfall.

"Those who have continuously spread despair and anxiety through their platforms in state TV/radio and Friday prayers (in reference to the Khamenei camp) seek to portray Rouhani as incompetent. They issue and chant slogans of 'Death to Rouhani,' failing to answer the inescapable question of who after Rouhani. The answer is obvious: surpassing Rouhani means overcoming the government, reaching the very principle of our state, and finally surpassing the Islamic republic itself," according to the Tadbir24 website, known for its affiliation to the Rouhani camp.

Interesting is how this piece considers Rouhani a synonym of the ruling state, or at least the velayat-e faqih regime's last chance of survival, warning surpassing Rouhani is tantamount to the end of the clerical rule altogether.

Protesters in the streets, however, are crystal clear in their intentions and how they view the overall regime apparatus. Chanting "Death to Rouhani," "Death to Khamenei," and most interestingly, "Reformists, principalists, end of story," the Iranian people are demanding sweeping changes, accepting nothing short of regime change. This ends Iran's scheme of portraying a system established on two parties of conservatives and reformists.