On Wednesday, July 12, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was invited by the Italian Parliament to participate in a hearing session of the Foreign Affairs Committee. She was warmly welcomed by parliamentarians and members of the Senate of Italy. Senator Giulio Terzi, the Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Italian Senate and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, joined a group of Italian representatives and senators in welcoming Mrs. Rajavi upon her arrival at the Parliament.
The purpose of the session was to discuss Iran, and Mrs. Rajavi had been invited as a special guest. As she entered the Parliament, a group of Iranians and supporters of the NCRI gathered outside to show their support and welcome her. The meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee was chaired by Mr. Giangiacomo Calovini, a representative from the ruling party, Fratelli d’Italia (the Brothers of Italy).
During the hearing session, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi addressed the committee, highlighting three key aspects of the current situation in Iran. These included the uprisings and protests of the Iranian people against the clerical dictatorship, the growing organized resistance movement, and the regime’s failure to address the social, economic, and political challenges faced by the country.
Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that the policies of the mullahs, both inside and outside Iran, are driven by the fear of being overthrown. She stressed the urgent need for a fundamental change in the European Union’s policy towards the Iranian regime.
Mrs. Rajavi called upon the Italian government and the European Union to take specific actions. These include designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, recognizing the Iranian people’s right to defend themselves against the IRGC, acknowledging the right to overthrow the dictatorial clerical regime and establish a democratic Republic, activating trigger mechanisms and enforcing UN Security Council resolutions, referring human rights violations in Iran to the Security Council, holding the leaders of the regime accountable for decades of genocide and crimes against humanity, imposing comprehensive sanctions, especially on oil and banking transactions, considering the regime as a threat to global peace and security, and placing it under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
The need for a change in the European Union's policy towards the clerical regime has never been more crucial than it is today. On behalf of the Iranian people and the Resistance, I appeal to Italy and the European Union to adopt a comprehensive policy that includes the following:… pic.twitter.com/WT4U3NAvbH
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 12, 2023
Following the hearing session, Mrs. Rajavi attended a joint meeting of the Italian Parliament’s representatives and senators. The session, chaired by Emanuele Pozzolo, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, included speeches from several parliament members, including Senator Gisella Naturale and Senator Lucio Malan. Prominent figures such as Mr. John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons in Britain, and former director of the International Monetary Fund Carlo Cottarelli were also present and delivered speeches.
Dr. Maria Lina Vitturini of the Equal Opportunities Commission of the Marche province, along with a delegation of women, expressed their support and conveyed greetings to Maryam Rajavi on behalf of 12 provinces, recognizing her as the President of the Iranian Resistance. Dr. Vitturini stated that they stood in solidarity with Iranian women who are fighting against the regime.
During the joint meeting, representatives from the Italian Parliament presented statements from the majority of the Senate and the Parliament, expressing support for the Iranian people’s uprising and condemning the dictatorships of the Shah and the mullahs. They also expressed support for Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
Expressing her gratitude to the majority of the Italian Parliament, Mrs. Rajavi highlighted that these statements are not mere symbolism, but rather represent a policy and strategy adopted by the majority of Italian legislators to address the tragedies and crises imposed by the religious dictatorship in Iran over the past four decades.
She further emphasized that the ongoing uprising in Iran is an extension of the resistance that has been evolving against the ruling regime for the past 42 years. Mrs. Rajavi commended the courageous presence and leadership of women in the uprising, highlighting their resilience in the face of oppression and execution by the regime since its inception.
We have never sought foreign governments to overthrow the regime, as we firmly believe that such responsibility rests with the Iranian people and their determined Resistance. pic.twitter.com/1z3kxKAtBZ
Our demand is straightforward: to respect the Iranian people's…— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 12, 2023
The belief held by the resistance is that Iranian women should have the freedom to choose and actively participate in the leadership of society on an equal basis, Mrs. Rajavi said, adding that the ultimate goal of Iranian women is the complete overthrow of the regime.
The Iranian Resistance has consistently rejected compulsory hijab, compulsory religion, and compulsory government, she said.
Mrs. Rajavi stressed that the regime’s attempts to suppress the uprising, it has been unable to halt its progression due to the presence of an organized resistance movement that channels the people’s discontent with the regime toward the goal of regime change.
The response of the Iranian people, in alignment with the resistance, is to intensify the flame of resistance in the face of the regime’s conspiracies and repression.
