On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, the Iranian Women’s Association in the UK held a conference in the British House of Commons. In this conference, which was co-chaired by Ms. Anna Firth, a member of the House of Commons of the UK, and Ms. Leila Jazayeri, the head of the Iranian Women’s Association in England, several British lawmakers, as well as a group of university professors and lawyers of this country, participated and spoke of the uprising. They supported the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.
At the conference, prominent speakers from both Houses condemned the poisoning of the Iranian schoolgirls as a crime against humanity. The speakers also demanded that the UK government proscribe the IRGC.
Ms. Anna Firth, a House of Commons member who presided over this meeting, said that Iranian people are deprived of their most basic rights but do not give in to silence. She also underlined that recently, there was a whole debate in the UK Parliament where MPs called for the IRGC to be listed as a terrorist. What should the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guards do to name the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization?
Anna Firth added that the courage of Iranian people and women will come to fruition. She supported Mrs. Maryam Rajavi‘s 10-point plan for a democratic Iran and asked the international community to recognize this program. Ms. Firth said we still hold.
Henry Smith, a senior member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Iranian regime continues to oppress the Iranian people and violate human rights by targeting the most vulnerable groups. This regime tries to prevent girls from participating in protests by suppressing and intimidating them.
He called for listing the IRGC as a terrorist and supporting the uprising of the Iranian people and said that this is a movement that the Iranian people have set up to take back their country.
Baroness Mubarak, a member of the House of Lords, said that we have reached the peak of the movement in Iran. She added that the human rights situation in Iran is worsening, and the poisoning of schoolgirls is reprehensible. It is a critical time to be together to implement change in Iran.
Baroness Crowley also expressed her support for Iranian women. This despicable regime cannot be allowed to continue with these crimes and repression. Mullahs and kings belong to Iran’s past, and the future of Iran belongs to the women and youth of Iran, who deserve our full support.
Dr. Jocelyn Scott, eminent jurist and former judge, author, and professor at Cambridge University, was also among the speakers at the conference. She stressed that the torture capital of the world is Tehran, and 26 security organizations in Iran are engaged in oppressing people. While condemning the regime’s crimes, particularly during the recent uprising, she urged the British government to stand up and join the people of Iran so they are free to choose their government.
Vicky Ford, a conservative House of Commons member, also participated in the conference and praised Iran’s brave men and women.
She also underlined that the IRGC should be listed as a terrorist while underlining that she, along with other MPs, continue to encourage ministers and members of parliament to make sure they use their voices on the international stage to support what the Iranian people are doing.
Leila Jazayeri, head of the Iranian Women’s Association in England, stressed that misogyny is in the essence of the Iranian regime. She also explained that the recent chemical attack on schoolgirls in Iran is a crime against humanity, and the perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable by the international community.
Dr. Elahe Zabihi, a senior professor at the university, considered chemical attacks on girls in Iran to be an evil act against women and children. She said that the people of Iran shout death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader (Khamenei). She also underlined that the revolution will be realized, and nothing can stop the people of Iran who say no to the Shah and the mullahs. “Iran will be a free, democratic republic that separates religion from the state,” she said.
Several other representatives of the British Parliament also participated in this conference and declared their support for the uprising of the Iranian people.