In a statement, many MPs from European countries, dignitaries, and 15 parliamentary committees for a free Iran expressed their solidarity with the Free Iran 2022 World Summit.
The full text of the statement and the names of the signatories are as follows:
For 40 years the Iranian people have been held hostage by an extremist regime which has destroyed Iran’s natural resources, its social fabric, rich culture, temperate environment, and its economic potential. It has suppressed dissent and responded to their protests with state-sanctioned violence, imprisonment, torture, and executions. The regime holds the world record for executions, particularly of women and youth.
The current president of the regime, Ebrahim Raisi, is one of the main perpetrators of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. Hundreds of current and former UN officials, legal and human rights experts and international NGOs have written an open letter to the UN Human Rights Council calling for an international investigation into the 1988 massacre.
Since 2018, eight major protests for democratic change in Iran have been brutally suppressed (Amnesty International Report 2021). In November 2019, more than 1,500 protesters, mostly young men, and women, were shot dead in the streets.
The Iranian people, especially the younger generation, are fighting for freedom. They have been deprived of their fundamental freedoms, for which reason they rejected monarchic dictatorship and are opposing religious tyranny. Iran is on the verge of a major change. After 100 years of struggle against dictatorship, the Iranian people want a free, democratic Iran, a Republic based on free elections and the rejection of any dictatorship.
Every year, tens of thousands of Iranians and hundreds of international personalities from all over the world gather to be the voice of a nation that is resisting. The participants condemn the religious dictatorship and express their support for a free Iran and the opposition’s 10-point program for a secular, non-nuclear republic, gender equality, end to discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international conventions on political freedom.
The Global Summit for a Free Iran will be held this year on 23 July 2022.
The Iranian people have the right to resist the regime for freedom. We call on our governments to stand with the Iranian people and their resistance, on the right side of history, and to recognize their right to freedom. ( A 2 Min clip on 40 years tyranny in Iran and the Global Summit)
We express our solidarity with the Global Summit for a Free Iran and its democratic goals.
Partial list of supportive parliamentarians & dignitaries:
Parliamentarian Committees for a Free Iran:
- British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF)
- International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran (ICPDI)
- European Parliament Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI)
- Le Comité français pour un Iran démocratique (CFID)
- Comitato dei Senatori Italiani per un Iran Democratico
- Comitato italiano di parlamentari e cittadini per Iran Libero
- Deutsches Solidaritätskomitee für einen freien Iran (DSFI)
- Comité Belge des Parlementaires et Bourgmestres pour un Iran Démocratique
- Comité suisse pour la démocratie et laïcité en Iran
- Canadian Friends of a Democratic Iran (CFDI)
- Australian Supporters of Democracy in Iran
- Friends of a Free Iran & Against Fundamentalism (Nordic)
- Comitetul Parlamentarilor Romani Pentru Iranul Liber
- The Dutch Group of Friends of a Free Iran
ISJ – International Committee in Search of Justice
Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-president of the European Parliament (1999 – 2014), ISJ President
Ambassador Giulio Terzi, former foreign minister of Italy (2011-2013)
Struan Stevenson, former MEP-President of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009 – 2014)
Paulo Casaca, former MEP-former Chair of European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
United Kingdom:
Rt Hon David Jones MP, former Secretary of State
Dr Matthew Offord MP
Bob Blackman MP
The Baroness Verma, former Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) and Parliamentary Under Secretary (Department for International Development)
The Baroness Harris of Richmond DL, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
The Lord Clarke of Hampstead CBE
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Boothroyd OM, former Speaker of the House of Commons
Steve McCabe MP, former Shadow Minister, and Opposition Whip
The Rt Hon. the Lord Dholakia OBE DL, Co-Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Peers and former Party Chair
The Prof. Lord Alton of Liverpool
The Rt Rev. the Lord Harries of Pentregarth DD, former Bishop of Oxford
Rt Hon Sir Roger Gale MP, former Vice-Chair of the Conservative Party
Rt Hon John Spellar MP, former Minister
John Cryer MP
Ian Mearns MP
Jim Shannon MP
France:
André CHASSAIGNE MP
Bertrand PANCHER MP
Brahim HAMMOUCHE MP
Yannick FAVENNEC MP
Philippe GOSSELIN MP
Constance LE GRIP MP
Éric DIARD MP
François PUPPONI MP
Frédéric REISS MP
Hervé SAULIGNAC MP
Hubert WULFRANC MP
Jean-Michel CLEMENT MP
Nadia ESSAYAN MP
Pierre-Yves BOURNAZEL MP
Yannick FAVENNEC MP
Alain VIVIEN, former Minister
Alain VIDALIS, former Minister
Alain NERI, former Senator
Jean-Pierre BRARD, former MP
François Colcombet, former MP
Martine PINVILLE, former MP
Michèle de VAUCOULEURS, former MP
Jacques Boutault, former Mayor & MP
Guy Schmitt, Mayor
Bruno Macé, Mayor
Jacky Duminy, Mayor
Jean-François Legaret, former mayor
Jean-Pierre BEQUET, former Mayor
Yves BONNET, former director of DST
Gilbert MITTERRAND, Chair of Danielle Mitterrand foundation
Italy:
Senator Roberto Rampi
Hon. Stefania Pezzopane MP
Hon. Antonio Tasso MP
Hon. Elisabetta Zamparutti, former MP
Hon. Carlo Ciccioli, former MP
Dr. Antonio Stango
Cristina Belpassi, Mayor
Donatella Paganelli, Mayor
Emanuele Faduzzi, Mayor
Francesco Cavallero, Mayor
Giovanni De Michelis, Mayor
Luca Panetta, Mayor
Mauro Giuseppe Castelli, Mayor
Paolo Bodoni, Mayor
Ricardo Travaglini, Mayor
Toni Matarrelli, Mayor
Roberto Rossini, Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL)
Germany:
Hermann-Josef Scharf, Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party of Saarland
Martin Patzelt, former MP
Belgium:
Senator Mark Demaesmaker Dirk Claes, honorary Senator
Pierre Galand, honorary Senator, chairman of OMCT – Europe
Serge de Patoul, honorary MP
Nordic Countries:
Kimmo Sasi, former MP and Minister from Finland
Jan-Erik Enestam, former Minister from Finland
Lars Rise, former MP from Norway
Edvard Julius Solnes, former Minister from Iceland
Switzerland:
Laurence Fehlmann-Rielle, Federal MP
Pagani Remy, Geneva MP
Jean-charles Rielle, Geneva, MP
Eric Voruz, former MP
Nils de Dardel, prominent lawyer
The Netherlands:
Prof. Henk de Haan, former MP, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Poland:
Marcin Swiecicki, former Minister
Romania:
Romeo Nicoara, former MP
Maria Grecea, former MP
Maria Eugenia Barna, former MP
Mihai Deaconu, former MP
Andreu Gerea, former MP
Daniel Buidurescu, former MP
Liviu Titus Pasca, former Senator
Moldova:
Petre Stirbate, former MP
Sergiu Ceaus, former MP
Canada:
Tony Clement, former Minister
Australia:
Dr. Meredith Burgmann, former President of NSW Parliament House
Penny Sharpe MLC MP, Leader of the opposition in the legislative council & Shadow Minister of Environment
Anna Watson MP
Lynda Voltz MP
Sonia Hornery MLA MP
Claire Moore MP
Bruce Childs, former Senator
Doug Cameron, former Senator
Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, former MP
Don Nardella, former MP
Sylvia Hale, former MP
Rev Brian Medway, National President of Crosslink Christian Network, Australia
Father Claude Mostowik, National President of Pax Christi Australia
Phil Glendenning, Director of Edmund Rice Center
