Town Hall – By Struan Stevenson | May 31, 2023
In a breakthrough that has rocked the tyrannical Iranian regime and fired a shot across the bows of western appeasers, 109 former world leaders have signed a joint statement of solidarity with the people of Iran and shown their support for the main democratic opposition coalition the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its key constituent organization – the People’s Mojahedin of Iran/Mojahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK). Signatories to the letter include former US Vice President Mike Pence and 50 former Presidents, 47 former Prime Ministers, one former Chancellor, and nine other former Heads of State from across the world. Two former Presidents of the European Commission and three Nobel Peace Prize laureates are also among the signatories.
The open letter has been sent to Joe Biden, President of the United States, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and to leaders of the 27 Member States of the EU. The joint statement refers to the nationwide uprising that has swept across Iran since September 2022, where millions of Iranians have taken to the streets to demand regime change and the restoration of freedom and democracy. The theocratic regime’s brutal crackdown on the protests has led so far to 750 deaths and 30,000 arrests. In a killing frenzy aimed at terrorizing the Iranian population, the mullahs’ regime has unleashed a wave of executions. 122 mostly young people, including many sentenced to death for their participation in the street protests, were hanged during the first three weeks of May. The letter reasserts that any change should come from the people of Iran, but the international community must show their support for their human rights.
The letter deplores the “decades of apparent silence and inaction by the international community” stating that this has “helped fuel a culture of impunity in Iran.” The 109 former world leaders point out that “Since the 1980s, the authorities in Iran have executed tens of thousands of protesters and political prisoners. Tragically, in the summer of 1988 alone, over 30,000 political prisoners – the vast majority of whom were members of the opposition MEK – were brutally massacred.” The joint statement says: “It is time to hold the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran to account for its crimes” and continues: “We encourage you to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran in their desire for a secular and democratic republic where no individual, regardless of religion or birthright, has any privilege over others.”
In a reference to the sudden reappearance, after forty years of virtual invisibility, of Reza Pahlavi, son of the dethroned and hated Shah, the letter states that: “Through their slogans, the Iranian people have made it clear that they reject all forms of dictatorship, be it that of the deposed Shah or the current theocratic regime, and thus reject any association with either.” Pahlavi has embarked on a world tour, ludicrously touting his desire to restore the detested Persian monarchy that was overthrown by a popular revolution in 1979. Sadly, the popular revolution was hijacked by Ayatollah Khomeini and the mullahs, who seized the opportunity to impose their own dictatorship in the absence of the leadership of the main, democratic opposition PMOI/MEK, most of whom had been executed or imprisoned by the Shah and his brutal Savak secret police.
The letter continues “We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide their future. However, we recognise that for four decades, the democratic coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has constantly and tirelessly pursued democratic change. In this respect, we believe the Ten-Point Plan articulated by the NCRI President, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, deserves support. Its commitment to free elections, freedom of assembly and expression, abolition of the death penalty, gender equality, separation of religion and state, autonomy for Iran’s ethnicities, and a non-nuclear Iran is in line with our own democratic values.”
In conclusion, the letter states: “We condemn the Iranian regime’s meddling in the Middle East and Europe, including its provision of drones to assist Russia’s war against Ukraine and its terrorist attempts and cyber-attacks in Albania. We urge your nations to stand with the Iranian people in their quest for change and to take decisive steps against the current regime. This includes blacklisting the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and holding regime officials accountable for their crimes against humanity.”
Signatories to the letter include Jean Claude Juncker –former President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi – Former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, Lech Wałęsa – Former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Stephen Harper – Former Prime Minister of Canada, Matteo Renzi – Former Prime Minister of Italy, Mariano Rajoy – Former Prime Minister of Spain, and Mary McAleese – Former President of Ireland.
Struan Stevenson is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change (CiC). He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). Struan is also Chair of the ‘In Search of Justice’ (ISJ) committee on the protection of political freedoms in Iran. He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA). His latest book is entitled ‘Dictatorship and Revolution. Iran – A Contemporary History.’
