Franc Bogovič, MEP from Slovenia, addressed a webinar by European lawmakers on October 7, 2020, on the human rights situation in Iran.
Online Conference held under title, “Iran’s Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity, EU’s political and moral obligations”. The online event was on October 7, 2020. Dozens of members of the European Parliament attended and spoke at the conference.
MEPs made their remarks in order to condemn the horrific human rights violations witnessed on a daily basis across Iran. In addition, MEPs called on the European Union to fulfill its moral and political obligations in the face of human rights violations in Iran. They called for a firm policy by the European Union against the mullah regime in Iran. Also, they pointed out, It is high time to stand alongside the Iranian people and support their justified aspirations for a free, democratic, and non-nuclear Iran.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran(NCRI), was the keynote speaker at this conference. Her message welcomed as a democratic solution to Iran’s future. Mrs. Rajavi’s ten-point plan has widespread support from the majority of MEPs for a long time.
Franc Bogovič, MEP from Slovenia
Dear Ms. Rajavi, dear colleagues, my name is Franc Bogovic, member of the European Parliament from Slovenia.
It’s an honor to join our distinguished colleagues, to address the serious concern with regard to Iran. I agree with what my other colleagues said today and support their call for a firm policy on Iran, especially the need to recognize and support the Iranian people and their popular resistance movement, the NCRI, in their quest for a free and democratic Iran, including Ms. Rajavi’s 10-point plan for the free Iran, which symbolize all that is needed for a democratic country.
Even as we are from different parties, we are united in the fact that you must adopt a foreign policy on Iran that holds the regime to account for its terrorism and human rights abuses.
For me, one of the immediate serious concern is the expiring arms embargo in Iran, which will allow the regime to legally buy weapons from China and Russia, and allow Tehran to export weapons to its terrorist proxies across the Middle East.
Allowing the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and world’s leading state executer per capita, legal access to conventional and sophisticated weapons will not only be a threat to the people of Iran and the stability in the region, but also a serious threat to the security of Europe.
That is why I joined over 250 parliamentors from European and Arab countries, in supporting statement on Iran earlier September, that urged the European and Arab governments to work together, extend the arms embargo in Iran, and support the snapback of all UN sanction under UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The EU is seriously concerned about Iran Mulligan role in the region and the domestic crackdown of protesters, but words will not stop or counter the regime in Iran, action will. The EU must now take concrete action based on these concerns.
The best way for the EU leaders in the European governments to do that is by denying the regime the resources, funds, its needs through reimposing UN sanction, and extend arms embargo. This must be the focus on the EU in the coming weeks. Tehran regime will only be persuaded by firm actions and not by hollow condemnation.
