I would like to send a message to the Iranian demonstrators in New York who plan to protest in support of human rights and democracy in Iran and to condemn the visit of the Iranian regime's terrorist president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN later this month.
I strongly believe that the US should not permit Ahmadinejad and his cronies to travel to New York and the UN should not welcome him at the General Assembly.
Ahmadinejad has through his words and deeds declared war on the Iranian people and the international community and he should be banished from the UN.
The people of Iran have clearly shown that they are ready for democratic change through their continuous anti-government protests.
However, as throughout history, the Iranian regime has dealt with these democratic demands in its usual fashion, that of torture and execution. Hundreds of demonstrators continue to remain in Iranian prisons, facing torture and potential execution on the bogus charge of "Moharebeh", or waging war of God.
For over thirty years this Iranian regime has ruled with an iron fist over the brave people of Iran. Suppression, torture and execution has been the order of the day under this Iranian regime not least during the uprising where we saw young men and women shot dead during street demonstrations, simply for demanding the most basic of freedoms. Freedom to choose one’s government. Freedom to choose one’s political allegiances. Freedom to choose one’s religion. These are basic freedoms that the people of Iran demand.
We have further heard numerous cases of people being sentenced to death for speaking in support of the opposition People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran.
The Iranian regime fears the democracy that the PMOI offers and it is for this reason that it is now targeting the families of PMOI members at Camp Ashraf.
I urge the UN to condemn the actions of the Iranian regime.
Finally I would like to say that I strongly support the work that the PMOI and the opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran are doing to bring about democratic regime change in Iran, and I look to the day in the not so distant future when the people of Iran can live in freedom and elect a government of their choice.
Thank you.
Lord Cotter
02/09/2010
