On June 30, 2024, at the Free Iran 2024 World Summit – Day 2 hosted at the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) headquarters in Paris, Irish Senator Gerry Horkan, delivered a powerful speech. Senator Horkan highlighted the urgent need for democratic change in Iran, emphasizing the regime’s oppressive nature and the global ramifications of its actions. Joined by his delegation, Senator Horkan reiterated the support of Ireland’s Parliament majority for the Iranian Resistance led by Maryam Rajavi.
1. Gerry Horkan Calls for Western Support for Iranian People's Struggle for Democracy and Regime Change #MaryamRajavi4FreeIran #FreeIran2024 https://t.co/Kd31gGXQBf
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) June 30, 2024
The full text of Senator Gerry Horkan’s speech follows:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, Madame Rajavi, our friends in Ashraf 3 who no doubt are joining us, and those joining online from all around the world. So, you can see I have our delegation with us. We have Deputy John Paul Phelan, Senator Garret Ahearn, and Senator Joe O’Reilly, and we’re joined by the wives of both Deputy Phelan and Senator Joe O’Reilly, and it’s a new addition as well, on stage for the first time, who seems to be more relaxed on the stage than any of the rest of us.
And it’s wonderful to be back in Paris once again with so many friends, so many colleagues, all expressing our hopes and desires for a free Iran very, very soon, and I think my first year here was either 2016 or 2017, soon after I became a parliamentarian. We were over in Ville Point at a much larger venue, but certainly a very similar format, and it’s great to see so many people still committed to a free, democratic, secular Iran.
Last Friday, the people of Iran struck another blow against the regime by abstaining in huge numbers from the so-called election. They have declared no to the regime, no to dictatorship, yes to regime change, and yes to a democratic republic. A huge percentage of the electors refused to participate in this sham election where all candidates were screened in advance by the regime, and indeed many that actually did turn up spoiled their vote, the lowest turnout since 1979, the lowest turnout since the revolution in 1979.
No real choice was being offered to the people in Iran. We know that everybody was screened in advance, and the West can no longer ignore this reality. We want to see Iran as a democratic country. We live in democracies, and we want to see the wonderful people of Iran being able to live in a democracy.
What these critics seem to want is to continue the failed policy, as we’ve heard many times over the last few days, of appeasement, showing the regime we do not seek its overthrow in hopes that Tehran will abandon its terrorism and human rights violations.
We know that bullies don’t react to appeasement. Bullies do not react in that way. They will keep attacking and keep attacking and keep attacking, and we need to realize that. History tells us that appeasing dictators never works, and we must not forget that terrorism and repression are in the Iranian regime’s DNA.
All over the Middle East and beyond, the reach of the Iranian regime is obvious, promoting terrorism and conflict in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, and of course its involvement in funding Hamas in the tragic conflict between Israel and Palestine. It reaches into Europe, too, providing drones to Russia to aid them in their illegal, appalling invasion of Ukraine, and it has also caused the mass migration of millions fleeing countries it is involved with to Europe and elsewhere.
History shows us that an idea whose time has come is unstoppable. We made references yesterday to the Berlin Wall. It wasn’t coming down, and then it did. That idea is a democratic, secular republic in Iran, and the West must stand with the Iranian people to effectively counter the threat that is the current regime.
I am delighted to be joined by colleagues here and to be able to announce that an overall majority of all of my colleagues in the Irish Senate, across all parties and none, and over two dozen of our colleagues in the Dáil, are backing a statement on Iran that calls on the international community to support freedom and resistance in Iran for global peace and security. And indeed, we gave a copy of all those signatures earlier to Madame Rajavi on stage a few moments ago.
In our statement, as I said, it was endorsed by a majority of Senators in Ireland. We put forward five simple necessary recommendations that got the support of the majority. One, we call for the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre, where over 30,000 were killed, to be held accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity.
Secondly, we urge all governments to support the NCRI President-elect Mariam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, which was outlined many times over the course of the last two days, for a democratic republic based on the separation of religion and state and gender equality.
Thirdly, we strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s actions against Iranian dissidents in Ashraf 3, where I have been before, and we welcome to all of those who, I’m sure, are joining us and watching from there, and we reaffirm their rights under the 1951 Geneva Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Fourthly, the free world must recognize the right of the Iranian people to rise up and the right of the PMOI Resistance Units to confront the IRGC, as the Iranian regime has blocked all political avenues for change.
And finally, fifthly, we strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s destructive role in the Middle East, and indeed beyond, and its belligerent policies, and call for the terrorist designation of the IRGC, as Canada has done, and the implementation of oil sanctions against Iran.
The people of Iran deserve a fully democratic secular system, where they can choose who they want to lead them, they can elect them, and they can elect others to replace them when they don’t like what they’re at. Led by the NCRI and Mrs. Rajavi, they are showing great courage and resilience and are making great personal sacrifices to secure a free, democratic Iran, and indeed I want to thank you, Madam Rajavi, and all of the supporters of the NCRI, and all those people who are working on all you do.
These events look seamless, they appear that they just happened, but it’s all of a sudden, you know, it doesn’t happen by accident, so well done to everyone involved. The world must stand with the NCRI. We will stand with them as they continue on their journey to a free, democratic peace with Iran, and we look forward to being able to someday go and visit Tehran as a free, independent, democratic republic.
Well done. Thank you very much.
