On the brink of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, an online international summit, entitled “Trans-Atlantic Summit on Iran Policy, Time to Hold the Iranian Regime Accountable,” brought together Iranians in various countries around the world from 10,000 locations.

Among the personalities who addressed the summit were 30 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers from the House and the Senate, including Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Bob Menendez, and dignitaries like Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, General James Jones, National Security Advisor to President Obama (2009-2010), Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Joseph Lieberman, former U.S. Senator, as well as a delegation of U.K. lawmakers, and Amb. Giulio Terzi, former Foreign Minister of Italy.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the keynote speaker of the summit, paid tribute to Navid Afkari, a rebellious national hero recently executed by the regime and said: “Faced with executions and massacres, the people of Iran urge the United Nations, and the U.N. Security Council, in particular, to restore snapback sanctions stipulated in the six U.N. resolutions against the clerical regime in Iran. Otherwise, Khamenei will continue to ravage the nation as his regime’s survival depends on murder and suppression. If Khamenei were to stop executions, he would lose control of the situation, and uprisings simmering in the depths of Iranian society would erupt and overthrow the mullahs’ religious fascism.”

Speakers in the summit demanded justice for over 30,000 MEK and other activists, political prisoners massacred in 1988. They urged an end to the policy of appeasement and demanded those who ordered and carried out this great crime, who currently occupy high positions in the regime, to be brought to justice.
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, member of Armed Services Committee sent a message to the summit. In her message, Senator Gillibrand said, “I also send my regards to each of today’s speakers who are joining in this important effort to support democracy and freedom for the Iranian people.”

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

It is a privilege to send greetings to everyone attending the summit to support a free Iran.  I also send my regards to each of today’s speakers who are joining in this important effort to support democracy and freedom for the Iranian people. 

I am grateful to organizations like the Association of Iranian Americans in New York which is part of the Organization of Iranian-American Communities U.S. for their fight towards a free and democratic non-nuclear Iran. 

Today we recognize their work, along with all those speaking truth to power in advancing human rights, gender equality, and religious and ethnic tolerance in Iran.  You all have my gratitude for the steadfast dedication to the important work that you do. Please accept my best wishes for an uplifting and empowering event.