In a conference in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons on Tuesday, February 25, cross-party Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, prominent jurists and women’s rights activists discussed women’s rights in Iran and the struggle for democratic change in the run-up to International Women’s Day, on March 8.
The event was organized by the British Committee for Iran Freedom.
Cross-party MPs, Peers & Prominent jurists including Baroness Boothroyd at the #IWD2020 #EachforEqual conf in UK Parliament today support NCRI & #Iran Uprisings led by women for regime change @BorisJohnson @DominicRaab @foreignoffice @10DowningStreet https://t.co/Sz6Wmi44V7 pic.twitter.com/q8Zi8Au92H
— Dowlat Nowrouzi (@DowlatNowrouzi) February 25, 2020
Kirsty Brimelow QC, former president of the Bar Human Rights Committee and winner of First 100 Years Inspirational woman Barrister of the Year 2018, chaired the conference.
“I welcome everybody to this early celebration of IWD but with an emphasis on the situation of women in Iran from various perspectives. I come at this from a legal perspective and my work on Iran is in relation to 1988 massacre and calling for an independent UN set-up inquiry into these mass executions”, she said in her opening remarks.
The panelists of this conference highlighted that the women’s situation in Iran is alarming and continues to deteriorate, especially in recent years during the tenure of the so-called “moderate” president, Hassan Rouhani.
They also pointed to the prominent role of women and their active participation in the recent protests and the historic movement for freedom, in particular in the organized Resistance movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), against the regime for a democratic change in Iran.
Former Speaker of the House of Commons, Baroness Boothroyd said: “The UK Government now with its huge majority must recognize and back the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, their organized Resistance movement NCRI, and support Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point democratic platform as the viable alternative to the current religious dictatorship.”
“Our message should simply be that we recognize that the problems in Iran have an Iranian solution and we proudly support it,” she added.
3/3 Baroness Boothroyd OM: UK Gov’t must now recognise & back the democratic aspirations of the #Iran‘ian people, NCRI, & support Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan as the viable alternative to the current religious dictatorship @BorisJohnson @DominicRaab #IWD2020 #EachforEqual pic.twitter.com/0BZTOTNcVW
— Dowlat Nowrouzi (@DowlatNowrouzi) February 25, 2020
Rt Hon David Jones MP said: “The Iranian nation largely reaffirmed its support for the protest movement by boycotting the regime’s illegitimate parliamentary election last Friday. The nationwide boycott of the election was both a resounding no to the regime in Iran as well as a sign that the movement for democratic change in Iran is very much alive and deserve international recognition.”
“The boycott came following a call by the NCRI President-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, and the activities of the Iranian opposition, the PMOI’s Resistance units all across the country”, he stressed, adding: “Once again, the Iranian nation showed their desire for change and this is a reality that should be recognized by both the UK Government and the international community.”
1/3 Rt Hon David Jones MP at Conf. in UK Parl: I believe the brave women of Iran should be recognised especially in #2020IWD celebration given their extraordinary and prominent role in the anti-regime protests the world has been witnessing since the late 2017. #EachforEqual pic.twitter.com/pUneVkkWnj
— Dowlat Nowrouzi (@DowlatNowrouzi) February 25, 2020
Sir David Amess MP told the conference: “The UK Government should back the popular uprisings in Iran against the regime, support Maryam Rajavi and her 10-point democratic plan for Iran as a viable alternative to the current religious dictatorship.”
Dr. Matthew Offord MP said: “There’s a consensus among MPs and Peers calling on the UK Government to support the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people and NCRI.”
Conf in UK Parl. on women’s rights in #Iran & struggle for democratic change #IWD2020 #EachforEqual, Dr Matthew Offord MP, @Offord4Hendon: there’s a consensus among MPs & Peers calling on the UK Gov’t to support the democratic aspirations of the #Iran‘ian people & NCRI pic.twitter.com/JXaE9RAcDb
— Dowlat Nowrouzi (@DowlatNowrouzi) February 25, 2020
Struan Stevenson, former Member of the European Parliament and the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change, chastised the EU for continuing its appeasement policy towards the regime in Iran.
“Despite nationwide protests in November and a violent crackdown by the Iranian regime that resulted in over 1,500 deaths, including 400 women, 5,000 injured and an estimated 20,000 arrested, the EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, went to Tehran to meet with senior officials of the regime and to express the EU’s on-going support for the defunct nuclear deal”, he said.
Rt Hon Theresa Villiers said: “Now as I have done in this event in previous years, I pay tribute to all the women who have taken part in those political protests across Iran. They are incredibly brave and it is clear that women in Iran are at the forefront of demands for democratic change, and reform and human rights”, said.
Baroness Verma, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Department for International Development and Chairwomen of UN Women UK, said: “Maryam Rajavi is an iconic figure for all of us and the Governments and ministers around the world should show the same courage and speak up for women’s rights not only in Iran but around the world.”
Prof. Lord Alton of Liverpool said: “Girls as young as 15 or 16 years of age as well as pregnant women were executed in prisons across Iran during the 1988 massacre, which Montazeri described the massacre as the worst crime in the history of the Islamic Republic”, citing revelations by the late Ayatollah Montazeri, the Supreme Leader–in-waiting at the time.
1/2 Prof Lord Alton at Conf. in UK Parl: #IWD2020 #EachforEqual As part of an international pressure, UK Gov’t should take immediate steps at #UNSC to declare leaders of the clerical regime as perpetrators of crimes against humanity for decades of systematic human rights abuses. pic.twitter.com/5OKaelnvoD
— Dowlat Nowrouzi (@DowlatNowrouzi) February 25, 2020
“The UK and its international allies should be seeking at a very minimum a referral to the international criminal court for the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran’s prisons, which is so serious that it is considered a crime against humanity. If that it is vetoed and blocked, the UK Government should be helping to establish a regional tribunal to bring those responsible to justice,” Lord Alton added.
Mary Glindon MP appreciated the NCRI for working for the progress of women’s rights in Iran and said: “We will continue to support these efforts and the cause of human rights in Iran.”
The panelists urged the UK Government to use the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council that starts this week to demand the UN Secretary General immediately dispatch an international fact-finding mission to Iran to investigate the killing of protesters and to visit the Iranian prisons to meet with those arrested during the nationwide Iran protests and political prisoners.
They called on the UK Government to work with its international allies in this regard and to pressure the regime for the immediate release of those arrested in recent protests, all political prisoners and dual citizens.
