Maryam Rajavi attends EP meeting on Camp Ashraf

11 nov epText of the Press Release by Friends of a Free Iran intergroup at the European Parliament:

Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI)

Press release:

In a meeting at the European Parliament on Wednesday 11 November 2009, chaired by Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice President of the European Parliament, and attended by dozens of Euro MPs and a large number of staff members at the European Parliament, the participants discussed the current situation in Camp Ashraf in Iraq, where 3,400 members of the Iranian opposition reside, and also the nationwide uprising in Iran against the ruling religious dictatorship.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, was the keynote speaker. Other speakers included Mrs. Eva-Britt Svensson, President of the Women Rights Committee, Mr. Struan Stevenson, President of the Iraq Delegation, Mr. Stephen Hughes, First Vice President of the Socialist and Democrats Group, Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis, Former President of Lithuania.

Representatives of European Member States expressed their solidarity with the Iranian people’s uprising and condemned the Iranian government’s brutal crackdown. They declared that they will continue with their support for the rights of Ashraf residents and the implementation of the European Parliament’s 24 April 2009 resolution on Ashraf.

In reference to the nationwide uprising in Iran, Mrs. Rajavi said that everything pointed to a national determination for change and the achievement of freedom and popular sovereignty. She added that the regime needed ‘the bomb’ more than ever in order to regain control of the situation. Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that the regime has exploited nuclear talks with the West as a sly way of progressing their manufacture of nuclear weapons. Simultaneous with the talks, the regime has been advancing all three aspects of the nuclear weapons programme, i.e., uranium enrichment, missile development and warhead manufacture.

She stressed: “Our solution is the third option, which rejects appeasement and foreign military intervention. It relies on democratic change by the Iranian people and their organised resistance. The current uprising in Iran attests to the viability of the third option.”

She added that the Iranian Resistance has proposed a plan for the creation of a national solidarity front, which embraces all political parties, groups and personalities that reject the clerical regime in its entirety and seek the establishment of a republic based on the separation of church and state.

Outlining plans for future Iran, she said: “We seek a nuclear-free Iran in peace and harmony with our neighbours and the rest of the world.”

On Camp Ashraf, Mrs. Rajavi referred to immoral scheme to displace its residents within Iraq which would pave the way for their massacre. She called on MEPs to take action to prevent a human catastrophe.

Mrs. Rajavi also called on EU member states to adopt a firm policy in defence of the Iranian people’s human rights and to prevent the regime from using its economic and diplomatic ties with the EU to justify the ruthless crackdown at home.

Struan Stevenson said : “It is appalling that despite repeated warnings from myself and others at the highest level of government in the EU, US and UN, no action was taken to protect the innocent, unarmed civilians in Ashraf against the brutal attack on their camp on 28th July. This resulted in the death of 11 innocent people, with 36 taken hostage and more than 500 injured. Why did the European Commission fail to act? Why did the UN and US fail to act? Their abortive policy of appeasement has simply allowed the mullahs in Tehran time to further their nuclear ambitions. If the West do not heed our warnings they will have the blood of thousands on their hands. The enforced displacement of the 3400 Camp Ashraf residents will set the scene for a massace.”

In his remarks, Dr. Vidal-Quadras stressed that the Iraqi Government must implement the European Parliament April resolution on Ashraf. The United Nations must formally prohibit forcible displacement of Ashraf residents within Iraq, he added. Dr. Vidal-Quadras concluded by saying that the United States must provide the necessary guarantees to prevent attacks and violence against the residents of Ashraf and their forcible displacement within Iraq.

Friends of a Free Iran intergroup
European Parliament
Brussels
11 November 2009