On June 30, at the Free Iran 2024 World Summit in Paris, former US Representative Loretta Sanchez delivered a passionate speech underscoring the dire situation faced by women in Iran under theocratic rule. Sanchez painted a vivid picture of the oppression faced by Iranian women, recounting the tragic story of Armita Garwand, a 17-year-old who was assaulted for not wearing a headscarf and later died from her injuries. She highlighted the brutal reality for women in Iran who face severe punishment for basic acts of self-expression and desire for human rights.
Emphasizing the importance of freedom, Sanchez detailed the additional hardships faced by Armita’s family, who were assaulted during her burial and forced to publicly decry her actions under government pressure.
The former member of the US House of Representatives praised Maryam Rajavi‘s unwavering stand for human rights and her Ten-Point Plan for a democratic republic in Iran, which promises to enshrine essential human rights and acknowledge the significance of women in Iranian society. She highlighted the plan’s commitment to freedom of speech, political parties, assembly, press, and the internet, asserting these are crucial for a free Iran.
She passionately supported point five of Rajavi’s plan, which advocates for complete gender equality in politics, society, culture, and the economy. This includes the abolition of discrimination, the right to choose clothing freely, and the right to marry, divorce, obtain education, and employment.
Sanchez concluded by calling for the end of Iran’s theocratic regime and dictatorship, emphasizing that freedom is the most important thing for which everyone must fight, particularly for the women of Iran.
The full text of former Representative Sanchez’s speech follows:
Thank you.
I want to begin by giving a shout-out to my Latinas there from Costa Rica and other countries in Latin America. It’s great to have you here.
Imagine, imagine you are a 17-year-old high school student walking with your friends going into the metro station in Tehran. And of course, as young people do, you defy authority and decidedly are not wearing your headscarf. As you stand on the platform, suddenly an enforcer jumps out and begins to assault you. And you fall to the ground, hitting your head and going unconscious. And 28 days later, you are dead.
Former Congresswoman @LorettaSanchez speaks on the bravery of Iranian women and their resistance for freedom. "Maryam Rajavi knows that it takes courage to fight for freedom" and outlined her 10-point-plan embodies the freedom for a secular republic Iran. #FreeIran2024 pic.twitter.com/Le23ebEhN2
— OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) June 30, 2024
Such is the life for women living under the dictatorship of a theocratic regime in Iran. Armita Garwand is only one of many women killed in Iran every year for not wearing the hijab, for wanting to dance or listen to music, for speaking out about freedom, for wanting very basic human rights.
Freedom. There is nothing more important than freedom.
Now imagine Armita’s family, limited in their abilities to pray and grieve over Armita. At her burial, authorities assaulted mourners and put dozens of people in prison, including many human rights activists. Dozens of these women are still in prison.
Freedom. There is nothing more important than freedom.
Journalists who want to report on what happened to Armita have reprisals against them for doing so. Her family, her family is forced to publicly decry Armita’s crime and echo a narrative that is not true, exonerating the government.
Freedom. There is nothing more important than freedom.
Freedom to wear your hair any way you want in public. Freedom to mourn your loved ones. Freedom to assemble and to protest against the wrongs of your government. Freedom to report the truth.
.@LorettaSanchez: "@Maryam_Rajavi's Ten-Point Plan for a Democratic Republic in Iran would enshrine these very human rights for all and finally acknowledge that women in Iran matter."#MaryamRajavi4FreeIran #FreeIran2024https://t.co/954tjQ81TI
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 30, 2024
Maryam Rajavi knows about standing up for human rights. She knows that it takes courage to fight for freedom. Just as all of you in this audience in Berlin and around the world watching are freedom fighters.
Mrs. Rajavi’s ten-point plan for a democratic republic in Iran would enshrine these very human rights for all and finally acknowledge that women in Iran matter.
Point two, point two of your plan. Freedom of speech, freedom of political parties, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and the internet. Freedoms that we are fighting for and experiencing here today must be in Iran under your plan, Madam Rajavi.
Your point, your point number five, the one which I feel so deeply today, is complete gender equality in politics, socially, culturally, economically, and equal participation of women in political life. We need this in Iran. The abolition of any form of discrimination. The right to choose one’s own clothing freely. The right to freely marry and divorce and to obtain education and employment. So, let’s do away with that dictatorship.
Let’s do away with that theocratic regime. Let’s do away with the noose of oppression. Why? Because freedom is the most important thing and all of us must fight for it, for the women in particular of Iran. Thank you.
