Paris, June 30, 2024 – Lord Dholakia, a distinguished British parliamentarian with 26 years in the House of Lords, delivered a powerful speech at the Free Iran 2024 World Summit. He began by sharing a personal anecdote about the British colonial rule in India and its eventual end, drawing a parallel to the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran.
Lord Dholakia emphasized that these elections are an exercise by the Supreme Leader to consolidate power and prevent further popular uprisings. He also highlighted the regime’s history of repression and persecution, particularly noting Raisi’s involvement in the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Co-Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords criticized the Western approach to Iran, citing instances of impunity enjoyed by the regime due to a soft-line approach. He mentioned the release of individuals involved in acts of terrorism and repression in exchange for hostages.
The speech underscored the significance of the NCRI and Madam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a democratic alternative to the current regime. “As over 500 cross-party colleagues in the UK have supported this cause, it’s time for the international community to recognize the democratic alternative and stand with the Iranian people,” Lord Dholakia declared.
The full text of Lord Dholakia’s speech follows:
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I’m a British parliamentarian of 26 years old in the House of Lords. I’m delighted to be given this contribution to speak to this audience today.
All I want to start with is saying to you that Britain ruled India for over 250 years and we were fighting them to tell them to go back home. Ultimately, they decided to leave the country and we said to them, don’t go alone, we’ll come and join you at some stage. And I’m delighted to say now that we not only visited the United Kingdom, and settled in that particular country, but gave them an Indian Prime Minister. That is a tremendous joy on our part.
Two days ago, the regime in Iran held another so-called presidential election to find a successor for Ebrahim Raisi, who recently died in a helicopter crash. Elections in Iran are meaningless unless you are the Supreme Leader Khamenei. They are deceptions to legitimize an unpopular faltering dictatorship. They are an exercise by the Supreme Leader to consolidate power and appoint loyalists who escalate repression and empower the IRGC to prevent further popular uprising.
Lord Dholakia: "The democratic roadmap in @Maryam_Rajavi’s Ten-Point plan for the future of Iran has the characteristics of a true opposition and alternative to the Iranian regime: the NCRI, PMOI, and Madam Rajavi."#MaryamRajavi4FreeIran #FreeIran2024https://t.co/UQVnMvmAvS
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 30, 2024
There is sufficient evidence of repression in Iran. History is made by extensive movements in domestic repression and persecution. His proud moment, Raisi’s proud moment, according to the regime, was in his role in securing the regime’s survival through the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members of the organized democratic opposition, the PMOI. The gruesome legacy was why the Supreme Leader handpicked him as its president.
And I’m not surprised at the inconclusive result of the presidential election. They are going to have another presidential election next week, and we will soon find out that we have nothing better than the butcher of Tehran being elected as president of that country. The candidates in yesterday’s fraudulent election included another key perpetrator of the 1988 massacre, signaling the regime’s unwavering commitment to its repressive cause.
The regime is determined to double down on dissent, suppress women, carry out terrorist attacks on pro-democracy dissidents, and further destabilize the region. Tehran has no other option but to repression, terrorism, and warmongering to maintain its grip on power. They have admitted to this fact with words and actions.
One of the things that bothers me, being in the British Parliament and having been a member of the Iranian Resistance movement for the last 30 years, is the extent of Western complexity in the way things are being run. The regime’s increasing repression and terrorism are partly due to the impunity it enjoys, resulting from the West’s soft-line approach.
For instance, when a perpetrator of the 1988 massacre was sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden, the Swedish government cowardly pardoned him in exchange for Swedish citizens held hostage for false charges. Similarly, when an Iranian diplomat was sentenced to 20 years in Belgium for planning to bomb the NCRI’s annual summit in 2018, the Belgian government released him as a prisoner for exchange.
There’s a call to action here, and it’s necessary to do so. Western leaders and governments continue to fail the regime’s victims and the indifferent people by rewarding Iran’s terrorist regime, taking diplomacy instead of ensuring accountability. However, we gather in Paris, joined by tens of thousands of Iranians rallying Berlin to demand change.
The Iranian people have made it clear that they reject the absolute rule that they show theocracy with their nationwide boycott of yesterday’s election and two years of social strain for protest. The NCRI spearheaded this campaign inside the countries to the Resistance Units and social network.
The NCRI also put forward a democratic roadmap in Madam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for the future of Iran. These are the characteristics of a true opposition and alternatives to the regime, so-called NCRI, PMOI, and Madam Rajavi, in Tehran’s prime target.
As over 500 cross-party colleagues in the UK, you saw that particular walking, and I signed that particular book, it’s time for the international community to recognize the democratic alternative and stand with the Iranian people.
In conclusion, I have this to say, Iran’s fate is determined by the people. They have shown us that they want regime change and a democratic republic. We must stand with them and the NCRI by upholding international law.
Yesterday we had a speaker of the House of Commons, former speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, making a plea about the extent to which Western countries should now cooperate in helping Iran. He made a plea also for wanting to visit Iran as the first person when he was free. May I just say that I was the one who has been associated with this project for over 30 years, and I want to make sure that my name is on that particular list?
And we, therefore wait for Iran to achieve that particular freedom. Freedom will be generated by the women of Iran, by the contribution of young people in Iran, but more important than that, to stick to the ten-point principles which talk about justice, liberty, and peace.
Free Iran.