Political prisoner Ali Moezzi support “Free Iran” rally by MEK supporters
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Interview with Struan Stevenson about the “Free Iran” rally
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Struan StevensonNCRI - Former European lawmaker Struan Stevenson has been a staunch supporter of freedom for the Iranian people for many years. Until his retirement in 2014, he chaired the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (Caucus) in the European Parliament for over 10 years. During that time and in subsequent years, he has participated in the annual “Free Iran” rallies organized by the Iranian Resistance each year in Paris.
We
asked him why he thinks the rallies are important to Iranians inside the
country.
Stevenson:
I have attended many of the great NCRI rallies in Paris and have been staggered
at the massive crowds who attend every year. Last year there were in excess of
100,000 people, most of them from the worldwide Iranian diaspora. Almost every
single one of these people will have extended families inside Iran, meaning
that potential support for the Iranian opposition is colossal, numbering
millions. This gives the lie to those who contend that the Opposition has
little or no support inside the country. Of course people cannot openly declare
their support for the PMOI/MEK inside Iran, as to do so will lead to immediate
arrest, torture and execution. Nevertheless an active network of courageous
PMOI members and supporters inside Iran and even inside government institutions
continue to keep the West informed of the clandestine nuclear and military
activities of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Qods
Force, at huge personal risk to their own safety and security. We have much to
thank them for in the West, not least that they were the first to alert us to
the mullahs’ nuclear programme back in August 2002. We should be throwing our
total support behind the Iranian opposition instead of doing dirty deals with
the mullahs and their murderous regime.
Question
from ncr-iran.org: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said in one of
these grand gatherings that the combined number of participants at the U.S.
Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention is less
than the number of people who participate in the annual gatherings of the
Iranian Resistance. How can an opposition movement have the strength to
organize such a meeting?
Rudy
Giuliani is quite correct. He is one of many prominent and internationally
renowned figures who address the annual NCRI gathering in Paris. Having
attended many of these events, I never cease to be overwhelmed by the size of
the crowd, who come from every corner of the globe to show their outrights
support for the only viable opposition movement that promises to restore,
peace, justice, democracy, human rights, women’s rights, an end to the death
penalty and the abolition of nuclear weapons, to this oppressed and beleaguered
nation. The strength of this opposition movement is a clear indication that
they are an alternative to the ruling mullahs and should be recognized as such
by our governments.
Question: How
do you assess the Iranian situation one year after the nuclear deal? Do you
think Tehran is weaker or stronger?
Regarding
the nuclear deal, while we condemn the concessions given to the regime and the
lifting of most of the sanctions, we also recognize that this deal created a
substantial internal crisis and fighting within the ruling clique, which has
significantly weakened the regime. Of course we also welcome the fact that the
regime's ability to make a nuclear bomb has really decreased. But it is
important to remind the West that the lifting of sanctions and the release of
frozen assets, despite the wishful thinking of the West, did not result in any
benefits for the Iranian population. On the contrary, instead of the money
being used for the welfare of the people, it has in fact been used to finance
terrorism, supporting Bashar al-Assad’s on-going bloody civil war and other
terrorist and sectarian military projects in Iraq and throughout the Middle
East.
Question: What
practical measures can Western governments take to support the establishment of
democracy in Iran?
It is
time we woke up to the fact that as long as the mullahs remain in power there
will be no possibility of peace in the Middle East. Federica Mogherini, the
EU’s High representative for Foreign Affairs & Security should stop her
business-as-usual approach to Tehran. She should be shouting in anger and
condemnation at the human rights abuse that takes place in that country on a
daily basis. The West should be entering into dialogue with the political coalition
that is the NCRI, rather than pussyfooting around with the mullahs in
Tehran. The NCRI under the inspiring leadership of Mrs Maryam Rajavi,
offers the best possible hope for peace and stability in the region.
A major
force in the NCRI is the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), which
believes in a democratic, tolerant Islam and has bravely stood up against
fundamentalism and violence. The PMOI’s vision of democracy, human rights,
women’s rights, abolition of the death penalty, abolition of nuclear weapons
and non-interference in other countries is surely the only way forward for Iran
and its beleaguered and oppressed population. The West should impose
international sanctions for human rights violations. These actions could lead
to breaking the atmosphere of fear and terror and ultimately to another
uprising which could topple the mullahs’ fascist regime and restore democracy
to Iran.
Struan
Stevenson was a Conservative MEP representing Scotland in the European
Parliament from 1999 until his retirement in 2014. He chaired the Friends of a
Free Iran Intergroup (Caucus) in the European Parliament for over 10 years. He
was President of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq from 2009
to 2014. He is now President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA).
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