Mitchell Reiss, Director of Policy Planning at the Department of State (2003-2005), U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland (2003-2007), virtually attended an online conference, marking the first anniversary of the November 2019 uprising. The event hosted by the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) homaged the Iranian people’s sacrifices for a free and democratic Iran.

Hundreds of thousands of outrage protesters came into the streets, showing their complaint against the sudden rise of gasoline prices. However, the regime’s security forces responded to defenseless demonstrators with live ammunition, killing at least 1,500 protesters.

During a few days, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other oppressive forces did whatever they could to stifle protests, according to the supreme leader Ali Khamenei‘s decree. They arbitrarily detained over 12,000 demonstrators, targeted protesters, and bystanders by heavy machineguns, snipers, and helicopters. However, they merely fueled the people’s wrath against the entire regime.

In his remarks at the NCRI virtual event, Amb. Mitchell Reiss expressed her solidarity with the Iranian people’s desire. He said:

Thank you for inviting me to speak with you once more.  It is a great privilege to be associated with your efforts to bring democracy and freedom to Iran.

First, I would like to pay my sincerest condolences to all those who laid down their lives one year ago, during the November 2019 uprising that took place across Iran, in more than 190 cities, and in all 31 provinces.   

These individuals sacrificed their lives in a righteous cause.  The initial spark for the protests may have been an increase in gasoline prices, but your grievances are far larger and more significant.  They address the very nature of the illegitimate regime in Tehran itself. 

These protests took place because the Iranian people only wish what people all over the world wish for – the basic human right to live in freedom, to raise your family without fear, to elect honest officials who will represent your best interests and not steal from you, and to live a life of dignity.    

You and your colleagues all over Iran have made it clear that you want a change from this illegitimate regime.  Nationwide protests were a way to show this regime — and the world – that your cause is just and that you will prevail.  

Your courage and bravery in the face of the regime’s violence and repression are inspiring.  At least 1,500 protesters were massacred on the streets.  Over 4,000 were wounded and at least 12,000 arrested.  The New York Times  reported that the IRGC and other security forces committed mass atrocities by using deadly force against unarmed civilians.  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the regime violated international law and engaged in “serious violations of human rights.” 

Afterward, Amb. Mitchell Reiss highlighted definite truths regarding the Iranian regime’s conditions:

What does all this tell us? 

It tells us that this is a regime that once more revealed its true nature in how it responded to the protests. 

This is a regime that is fundamentally weak and unsure of itself, not strong and self-confident. 

This is a regime that does not respect the lives of its own citizens.  

This is a regime that does not trust its own citizens to know the truth. 

This is a regime that resorts to violence to silence the voices of the people.  

This is a regime that blames others for its own failures. 

This is a regime that is corrupt and a massive violator of human rights. 

This is a regime that is irreformable and incapable of serving the people of Iran. 

This is a regime that fears its own people. 

Above all, this is a regime that fears the MEK [Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization] and what it stands for. 

This is a regime that fears Madame Rajavi especially, and her ten-point plan to bring democracy, true representative government and the rule of law to Iran.  

In addition, this is a regime that has grossly mismanaged the Covid-19 pandemic.  Initially, the mullahs denied and covered up the extent of the pandemic, losing valuable time and ensuring that more Iranians would suffer and die.  Their subsequent incompetence in dealing with the crisis is stunning.

According to Johns Hopkins University, almost 700,000 Iranians have been infected with the virus and tens of thousands have died, but these numbers could well understate the true costs of Tehran’s mismanagement.  

And there are no signs that the mullahs have learned how to do better over time.  This past Saturday saw a new daily record of almost 10,000 people infected with the virus.  

On this anniversary of the November 2019 uprising, and at a time of transition in the United States from the Trump to the Biden Administration, it is useful to reflect back on recent trends and developments over the past few years, and what they suggest for the struggle between the Iranian people and the ruling theocracy in Tehran. 

From my perspective, the forces of freedom are gaining strength both inside and outside Iran, while the forces of repression are weakening.  

Mitchell Reiss reminded: 

Only a few short years ago, members of the MEK were isolated at Camp Ashraf and under attack from the mullahs’ allies.  Today, these brave men and women are safely in Albania, under the protection of a sympathetic government and the laws and security forces of the European Union.  

Only a few short years ago, the regime in Tehran tried to blow up a peaceful gathering of the opposition in Paris.  But the terrorists were apprehended before they could strike.  They are now on trial for the entire world to see once more that the regime in Tehran does not hesitate to use terror to silence its enemies, even on European soil.  

Only a few short years ago, the Iranian regime had an ambitious 5-year development plan.  Today, Iran’s economy is in tatters, undergoing a third consecutive year of recession.  According to the World Bank, the country’s real Gross Domestic Product contracted by almost 7 percent in 2019/20, with revenues from oil falling by almost 40 percent.

The accumulation of economic sanctions, along with the ongoing impact of Covid-19, means that the economy is projected to decrease by another 4.5 percent in the coming year.  Inflation has accelerated, placing even more pressure on vulnerable households.  This is not a regime that knows to run a modern economy. 

For the past few years, the United States has not emphasized human rights as one of its foreign policy priorities.  I am confident that the incoming Biden Administration will speak out forcefully about human rights.  This change will not be welcomed by dictators around the world, and especially by the mullahs. 

And perhaps most importantly, only a few short years ago, the MEK was discredited widely in the United States and Europe, the subject of a long disinformation campaign.  But the situation has changed dramatically. Today the MEK is recognized as a legitimate political organization representing a large section of the Iranian population and the leading organisation to bring about peaceful change in Iran. 

In sum, the heroic protests we witnessed last year are part of larger trends that are strengthening the opposition and weakening the regime in Tehran.  

“A democratic future for Iran is closer today than before… Please know that all freedom-loving people the world over all stand with you,” Amb. Mitchell Reiss said addressing the Iranian people inside the country and abroad.