Paris, June 29, 2024 – At the Free Iran 2024 World Summit in Paris, Belgian MP Kathleen Depoorter expressed her strong support for a free and democratic Iran, highlighting the courage of women in the resistance led by President-elect Maryam Rajavi. Depoorter emphasized her deep concern over the ongoing repression and human rights abuses in Iran, particularly against women.
The Belgian representative condemned the European policy of appeasement towards the Iranian regime, specifically criticizing Belgium’s release of Assadi and Sweden’s release of Hamid Noury, who she described as criminally responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranian political prisoners. She also expressed disappointment with the EU’s refusal to blacklist the IRGC, despite numerous resolutions passed by various European parliaments advocating for this measure.
She praised Canada for its decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization and noted that in Belgium, political leaders have signed a joint statement supporting Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan and the brave Resistance Units in Iran. Depoorter highlighted the significant actions taken by the PMOI Resistance Units, including the display of banners calling for the overthrow of the regime, demonstrating their strength and commitment to a free Iran.
The full text of Belgian MP Kathleen Depoorter’s speech follows:
Hello, good afternoon everyone,
I’m so delighted to be here at this very important conference, and I’m so proud to be here with all my European colleagues, lots of them women, women who represent the resistance in Iran, women who represent Mrs. Rajavi, and her strength. What an honor. What an honor to be here with you again.
We’re here to express our hope and enthusiasm to a free and democratic Iran, but I’m also here to express my deep concern about repression and human rights abuses in Iran, especially against women.
I strongly reject the Europeans’ policy of appeasement, and it has been said that they keep on doing it. They keep on supporting the regime’s hostage-taking policy. And I have to mention my country, Belgium, who made a terrible mistake of releasing Assadi last year. And in the recent release of Hamid Noury by Sweden, who is a criminal, a criminal who killed thousands of Iranian political prisoners.
I also have to express my disapproval of the EU’s refusal to blacklist the IRGC. And this is quite several resolutions that we all voted. We voted them in European Parliament, in our Belgian Parliament, in every Parliament, every representative here voted this resolution to blacklist IRGC, but they didn’t listen to us.
Met @Mike_Pence op de #FreeIran2024 van het @iran_policy.
Democratische-, vrouwen- en mensenrechten blijven voor mij een drijfveer om een politiek mandaat uit te voeren. Alleen loop je snel, samen kom je verder.
Samen voor vrede, democratie en mensenrechten 👊. pic.twitter.com/obqly6rWo1— kathleen depoorter (@KDepoorterMP) June 29, 2024
And I have to applaud Canada, who did so, very, very brave. The release of Assadi was a big mistake, but we did something right in Belgium. As our colleagues, we signed this joint statement, a joint statement that also has been signed by our presidents of the parties, also by my president of the party, Bart de Wever, who is heading for prime minister right now at the moment. And with this statement, we want to express our support to Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
We also want to express our support for these many brave Resistant Units in Iran who are fighting against this repressive apparatus of the IRGC. And we reject the absurd actions of the regime against 104 members of the Iranian opposition who are now political refugees in Europe.
I’d also like to salute the members of the PMOI Resistance Units who are watching right now. Many of them are women. And we’ve seen in the beginning of this conference that they have carried out 20,000 acts of support for a free Iran for this gathering 2024. They have hung hundreds of huge banners from bridges overlooking Tehran, but also the other cities like Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashhad, and also in smaller towns.
And these banners, they show the strength of the resistance. And they call the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the regime. And this is what finally is going to happen. I want to say to all these volunteers, don’t hesitate. Keep up the fight. And you can and you will liberate Iran. And of course, you can count on me and on so many of my colleagues. I’ve been re-elected for five more years. So together, we will walk this road towards a free, secular, and democratic Iran.