NCRI – Lord David Russell-Johnston died on Sunday in Paris after a long life of fighting for human rights and democracy in the world.
He was elected to the House of Commons and represented Inverness for the Liberal Party (1964–1983) and Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber as a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party (1983–1988) and for the Liberal Democrats (1988–1997). He also served as leader of the Scottish Liberal Party and as deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats (1988–1992). In October 1966, he proposed a bill of federal law in order to deal with the Scotland and Wales case.
In a statement, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance described him as a great defender of democratic values who was not influenced by the political considerations.
She expressed her deepest condolences to his family to the members of both houses of the British parliament, members of the British parliamentary committee for a free Iran and the British Liberal Democratic Party which Lord Johnston was a member.
Mrs. Rajavi added that Lord Russell-Johnston pledged his support for the Iranian Resistance when he was a member of the House of Commons in 1980s.
He was among the 35 British parliamentarians starting a major campaign for delisting of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from the UK's list of proscribed organizations.
He spoke for the last time at the gathering of 70,000 Iranians in Paris on June 28.
"What an extraordinary audience you have been. People have come from all over Europe and indeed from many other parts of the world to show their commitment and their determination to see a free Iran.
The leadership of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi has been a wonderful inspiration. To them we will always owe a very deep and special debt. I take this moment also to salute those in Ashraf City. As Mrs. Rajavi said, there are a symbol of perseverance and inevitable victory. We know what must and what will be done. Throughout history, repression has maintained itself for periods of time, but time for the mullahs is now running out. This great gathering is part of an inevitable movement to sweep away the theocratic repression and the encouragement of terrorism, and to bring to the Iranians once more human dignity and human rights. So, my message to you is very simple: Liberty is very close, so you must persist, persist and persist. And if you do that, and remain true and loyal to the democratic aims you have set out, the sweetness of success would be yours, and for all Iranians a better life will unfold. So, persist," Lord Russell-Johnston said.
The residents of Ashraf City (home to the members of the PMOI in Iraq) and all other members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance will always remember Lord Johnston and his great service to freedom and democracy in Iran.
