Iran: Resisting Tyranny, An Oppressive Judiciary, Combating State Terrorism
On Friday, March 1, 2024, a conference entitled “Resisting Tyranny, an Oppressive Judiciary, Combating State Terrorism” was held in France, in the presence of Maryam Rajavi. The conference boasted the participation of numerous jurists and political dignitaries from the United States and Europe.
Professor Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Mr. Peter Altmaier, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy until 2021, Judge Louis Freeh, Former Director of US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ambassador Robert Joseph, U.S. former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; Stanislav Pavlovschi, Moldova’s former Minister of Justice, along with Struan Stevenson and Paulo Casaca from the International In Search of Justice Committee, were among the distinguished participants who addressed the audience at the conference.
In her address to the conference, Maryam Rajavi highlighted the trial in absentia of over 100 members of the PMOI, emphasizing that such a trial fundamentally violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international judicial standards.
Politically, she said, it constitutes a conspiracy. It is a preparatory measure aimed at facilitating terrorist actions in Europe and imposing restrictions on the Iranian Resistance on an international scale, particularly in Albania.
All individuals involved in this trial, whether as judges, prosecutors, lawyers, or witnesses, are complicit officials and operatives within the regime’s machinery of torture and execution, which routinely issues oppressive and unjust rulings, she reiterated.
Following is the full text of Maryam Rajavi’s remarks at this conference:
Maryam Rajavi: Justice, court, trial, and an independent judiciary are non-existent concepts under the clerical regime in Iran
Honorable dignitaries,
Dear Friends,
Greetings to you all. We are thrilled to welcome Professor Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the distinguished President of the International Committee in Search of Justice, in excellent health, less than four months following the terrorist attack by regime agents in Madrid.
In October of last year, the regime singled out Mr. Vidal-Quadras, placing him at the top of its blacklist and making him the target of a heinous terrorist attack. This event has underscored the regime’s vulnerability to Mr. Vidal-Quadras’ stance and the fight he leads against the religious dictatorship in Iran.
Mr. Vidal-Quadras stands as a beacon of resilience. He embodies the integration of dignity, ethics, and humanity within the realm of politics.
We are thankful for his recovery and, on behalf of the Iranian people’s Resistance, extend our heartfelt greetings to him.
Further Escalation in Repression and Terrorism
Dear friends,
Today’s conference is a pivotal moment in shedding light on the motives behind the trial in absentia of over 100 members of the Iranian Resistance by the clerical regime.
This trial is a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international judicial standards, representing a politically motivated conspiracy. It is evidently a preparatory measure aiming to pave the way for terrorist actions in Europe and to impose restrictions on the Iranian Resistance internationally, specifically targeting the rights of the PMOI at Ashraf-3 in Albania. This action signifies further escalation in internal repression and terrorist aggression against the Iranian Resistance.
From the perspective of the Iranian people, the clerical dictatorship’s Judiciary flagrantly breaches the basic principles on the Independence of the Judiciary adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 13, 1985. The regime’s Judiciary is devoid of any legitimate jurisdiction to handle any lawsuit. Consequently, all verdicts rendered by this corrupt and blood-stained apparatus over the past 45 years are inherently unjust and invalid.
Nevertheless, in the face of the mullahs’ futile attempts to cloak this trial with a façade of legality, which is setting the stage for a political and terrorist conspiracy, I must emphasize the following:
Every individual participating in this trial, be it a judge, prosecutor, lawyer, or witness, is an integral part of the regime’s machinery of torture and execution, known for its routine delivery of oppressive and unjust verdicts.
For example, the cleric designated to serve as the judge in this trial previously held a position in the Office of the Implementation of Verdicts, where he was directly involved in the execution of innocent prisoners.
This sham court is held in a country devoid of any semblance of the rule of law. According to Article 57 of its Constitution, the nation operates under the dictates of the Vali-e Faqih (or a supreme jurisprudent).
The indictment issued by this court references the regime’s Punishment Act, which sanctions eye gouging and limb amputation. These laws stand as stark evidence of the regime’s systematic human rights violations.
Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, has acknowledged the existence of an ongoing internal conflict since June 20, 1981[1] . This admission underlines that the governing authority, being a participant in this conflict, lacks the minimum jurisdiction or legitimacy to preside over a trial concerning this internal strife.
From the viewpoint of the Iranian people’s Resistance, this conflict is seen as a legitimate and justifiable response to the regime’s inhuman acts of aggression. The Iranian people were compelled to adopt this course of action “as a last resort to revolt against oppression and pressure,” consistent with the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Indeed, the founder of the clerical regime, Khomeini, delivered a decisive judgment on the PMOI by issuing a decree for the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. In his directive, he declared, “All those who persist in their support for the PMOI must be executed.” This edict has since been adopted by the regime’s sham courts and legal system as a guiding principle.
In June 2011, the regime’s current leader, Khamenei, endorsed the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. He affirmed, “It has been established that those accused of collaboration or association with (the PMOI) are guilty of Moharebeh (waging war on God).”
From this, it is evident that the notions of justice, court, trial, and an independent judiciary are fundamentally absent under Iran’s clerical regime. The regime’s sham courts, and legal frameworks have consistently treated this directive as their guiding principle.
The Clerical Regime’s Goals Through the in Absentia Trial of the PMOI
Dear friends,
The regime’s court convenes under conditions of desperation, as the ruling mullahs face the uprising of the Iranian people. In this context, the trial is orchestrated with several goals in mind.
Firstly, they aim to convey the message that supporting the PMOI inside Iran will lead to severe repercussions. This approach seeks to counteract the growing appeal of the PMOI and its Resistance Units among the younger generation in Iran.
Considering the 2022 uprising, the regime is fully aware that the younger generation, which constitutes the pivotal force of the uprising, is increasingly gravitating towards the PMOI.
As highlighted in the valuable declaration of 453 renowned international jurists and legal institutions, “the Iranian regime’s repressive actions against PMOI members are disguised as judicial measures.”
Secondly, this sham trial is designed to lay the groundwork for executing terrorist attacks against the Iranian Resistance on European soil.
The clerical regime’s record of terrorist operations outside Iran does not need explanation. They include the assassinations of Dr. Kazem Rajavi in Geneva; Mohammad Hossein Naghdi, the NCRI representative in Rome; Zahra Rajabi, and Ali Moradi in Istanbul, Mohammad Hassan Arbab in Karachi, and the assassinations of Kurdish leaders in Vienna and Berlin.
The regime’s thwarted attempts to target the PMOI’s New Year celebration in Albania and the Free Iran World Summit in Paris in 2018, along with terrorist activities in the past year aimed at the Iranian Resistance’s centers in Paris, London, and Berlin, have unequivocally revealed this objective.
Today, Professor Vidal-Quadras stands as an undeniable, living testament to the regime’s terrorism, and is present at this conference. He embodies the clear voice of the world, standing against the Iranian regime’s terror and suppression.
Currently, the mullahs are attempting to give their heinous acts of terrorism an air of legitimacy by conducting in absentia trials against members of the Iranian Resistance.
Thirdly, the regime is exerting pressure on Albania to impose limitations on the political and human rights of PMOI members residing in Ashraf-3. This is particularly concerning as many of the so-called defendants in their sham court are from Ashraf-3, most of whom have survived massacre, imprisonment, and torture at the hands of this criminal regime.
Fourthly, the regime seeks to counteract the increasing tendencies in legislative bodies to recognize the Iranian people’s struggle and the efforts of valiant Resistance Units within Iran. They are also making efforts to convince Western countries, including through the utilization of Interpol, to limit this movement.
Historical Disgrace for the Mullahs’ Demonization Campaign and Psychological Warfare
Despite these objectives being clear from the beginning, the leader of the Iranian Resistance announced that he was prepared to involve international jurists, lawyers, and parliamentarians in the regime’s sham trial. However, the regime declared that “the participation of international lawyers in this court lacks legal validity and is null.”
Therefore, in step with their practice over the past 45 years, in ten sessions of their sham trial, the mullahs have unilaterally repeated their threadbare lies and accusations against the resistance movement, which they have fabricated and processed in the workshops of the notorious Ministry of Intelligence for years.
The difference now is that previously, they attempted to spread these absurdities through so-called dissidents or covert operatives of the Ministry of Intelligence. Currently, they have found themselves with no choice but to abandon deceit and directly disseminate their fabricated information. Viewed from this angle, the sham trial represents a significant unveiling of the regime’s campaign of demonization and psychological warfare against the PMOI.
To the mullahs, we declare: Proceed and enlist as many executioners, hangmen, intelligence operatives, and torturers as possible, presenting them as judges, prosecutors, and plaintiffs against this Resistance. Assign as many of your disgraceful crimes to this movement as you wish. Brand the just and liberating resistance of a nation with the label of terrorism as much as you please.
Recall the harsh insults and charges directed at the esteemed Iranian leader, Dr. Mohammad Mossadeq, by the Shah’s regime and colonial powers, yet he ultimately received global respect. Remember Missak Manouchian, a prominent figure in the French Resistance against Nazi occupation, who was labeled a terrorist and executed, yet France recently honored him by relocating his remains to the Panthéon, paying formal homage alongside the nation’s historical luminaries.
The Velayat-e Faqih regime is similarly familiar with such defamations, which fail to tarnish the noble struggle of a people yearning for freedom. Rather, these slanders serve to dignify them in the annals of history, among their compatriots, and within the revolution, validating their integrity and genuine cause.
I must emphasize that we have always welcomed the adjudication of the confrontation between our people and our resistance with the ruling religious and anti-human tyranny.
For over forty years, our movement has stood firm in its fight against the ruling dictatorship, never compromising on its principles. It has steadfastly upheld dignity, maintained political and financial independence, and safeguarded the lives, properties, and honor of Iranian citizens. It has never faltered in defending the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Iranian people for political gain.
Hence, any fair-minded individual or tribunal tasked with adjudicating between us, and the regime will inevitably align with the cause of justice and the Iranian people and their Resistance.
On behalf of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, I urge the global community to oppose the mullahs’ terrorism and belligerence and to support the Iranian people and their organized Resistance movement for freedom and the establishment of a democratically elected republic.
Thank you all very much.
[1] Ali Khamenei, 28 June 2022
