Wesley (Wes) Martin, Colonel, U.S. Army, (RET.) addressed an online global conference on the conviction of Iran’s diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi by a Belgian court for attempting to bomb the 2018 Free Iran gathering in Paris.
On February 4, 2021, simultaneous with the court ruling against the Iranian regime’s diplomat-terrorist, Assadollah Assadi, and his accomplices in Antwerp, Belgium, a global online conference was held, where Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and dozens of prominent figures from various European countries, the United States and Canada, joined thousands of Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI) members based in Ashraf-3 (Albania) as well as the supporters of the Iranian Resistance worldwide.
The Belgian court rejected Assadollah Assadi’s claim of diplomatic immunity and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The three intelligence agents, Nasimeh Naami, Mehrdad Arefani, and Amir Saadouni, were sentenced to 18, 17, and 15 years in prison, respectively. Their Belgian citizenships was also revoked.
Wesley Martin Retired U.S. Army Colonel
Mrs. Rajavi, members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, all guests and dignitaries, and especially my fellow soldiers for democracy, who we serve so closely together at Camp Ashraf, thank you for allowing me to join you today.
All Events with the NCRI and the MEK bring together people throughout the world to show support for an Iran that one day we’ll achieve, the Four Freedoms stated by President Franklin Roosevelt, the freedoms of speech, of worship, from want, and from fear. The failed 2018 attack was as much against those freedoms as it was against the participants at the rally outside Paris. This attempted attack once again emphasized Iran’s ruling extremist fear of the NCRI and its affiliate organization, the Mojahedin-e-Khalq.
In turn, the number of international dignitaries attending this event confirms the global respect held by both organizations. For decades, the Iranian government has avoided judicial accountability as a number one state sponsor of international terrorism. This has ended today. Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Rouhani were desperate. Citizens within Iran commenced in December 2017 the riots and are still ongoing inside the country. Still Khamenei’s two biggest threats to power continue to be the Paris-based NCRI and the MEK in Albania.
Whenever Ayatollah’s power is threatened by internal overthrow, the regime resorts to two measures. The first is brutal oppression of the Iranian citizens inside the country including imprisonment and mass execution. The second is committing a terrorist attack against Iran’s perceived enemies. Attacking the rally in Paris was a bold plan but Khamenei, Rouhani, and Asadi failed to take into account was European law enforcement efficiency.
The detection of the explosive device by Belgian police immediately activated the criminal justice agencies throughout the continent. German police apprehended Asadi during his automobile flight as he was approaching the Austrian border. We should give special recognition to law enforcement agencies, the frontline against terrorism in Europe.
Now, the day of justice has come for Asadi and his three accomplices, the verdicts on terrorism and attempted murder. Also, indirectly on trial was Khamenei and Rouhani for ordering the failed mass slaughter. This verdict is a blow to the influence inside and outside of Iran. Unfortunately, their day of justice will have to be delayed until the eventual but certain collapse of the Iranian government. The question becomes, why national governments around the world currently in power still have so much reluctance to stop coddling the government of Iran and recognize the way to move forward is to work with the opposition?
Neither the NCRI or the MEK are about power in Iran. They’re about democracy in Iran. Both have become cultural, political, and ideological threats to the Islamic fundamentalists. The founding philosophies were both organizations [inaudible 4:30] between those in power and those not, between men and women, and among the various religions and races. Clergy should not have total control over interpretation of the Quran and clerics should not have total control over their congregations.
These philosophies are in direct contradiction to the teachings of the Iranian fundamentalist. Shamefully, Western detractors will still strive for Iranian appeasement, claiming these philosophies reflect the teachings of Marx and Lenin. The reality is those philosophies accurately reflect John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.
The people of Iran want change, rather than to continue attempting to appeasement with dysfunctional government leaders of the international community will better serve their nations in global peace by working with the two organizations determined to bring democracy and stability to Iran and the Middle East. Those two organizations are the NCRI and the MEK,
to my brothers and sisters, Ashraf three, when you go on, you’re ready to go to Iran. I’m ready to go with you. We were together at Ashraf, let’s go together into Tehran. Thank you.
Thank you, thank you very much for your remarks. Terrorist activities, and today is a very important day since you are a civil party and especially when the court has confirmed the state terrorism of the regime. And I’m sure a very big victory, not only for the linear resistance, also for you and for all friends of this resistance. Thank you very much.
