NCRI – The Belgian Committee of Parliamentarians and Mayors for a Democratic Iran has called attention to the violation of human rights in Iran by the mullahs’ regime. In a statement on Tuesday, the group also declared its solidarity with the major “Free Iran” rally that was held by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) in Paris on July 9. The following is the text of their statement:
For immediate release – Tuesday 19 July 2016
More than 90 Belgian Politicians Call for Relations with Iran to be Conditioned to Human Rights
We in Belgium are very much concerned about the human rights violations in Iran which has gone worse after the so called moderate Rouhani became President 3 years ago. Women are being repressed more than before and many journalists have been sent to jail.
One year has passed after the nuclear deal with Iran but we do not see any change of attitude. The regime has fired long range ballistic missiles and is a sponsor of terrorism and is fully supporting Bashar Assad in Syria.
In these circumstances, we were happy that the Iranian resistance held a very big gathering in Paris on 9th of July in solidarity with Mrs Maryam Rajavi, the opposition leader, who has been to Belgium Senate and Parliament several times before. This gathering has really shaken the regime.
So we in Belgium, in solidarity with the people of Iran who are suffering under the rule of the mullahs, have signed a joint statement which has received the support of many members of parliaments from major political parties from French, Flemish and German speaking regions. This support includes more than 90 members of the Federal parliament and Senate, members of the Flemish parliament and members of the regional parliaments of the Capital Brussels and Wallonia. I am sending this joint statement to the media and EU and international institutions today.
Our main demand is that the European governments, including our own government in Belgium, must condition their relations with Iran to ending of executions and a clear progress on human rights.
We should not close our eyes to the crimes in Iran for financial interests.
Dirk Claes, Mayor and Honorary Senator
President of Belgian Committee of Parliamentarians and Mayors for a Democratic Iran