On the brink of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual session, an online international summit, entitled “Trans-Atlantic Summit on Iran Policy, Time to Hold the Iranian Regime Accountable,” was held September 18. The Summit brought together Iranians in various countries around the world from 10,000 locations. British MP Bob Blackman, joined the Summit.

Among the personalities who addressed the summit were 30 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers from the House and the Senate. Personalities including:

Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Bob Menendez, and dignitaries like Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, General James Jones, National Security Advisor to President Obama (2009-2010), Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Joseph Lieberman, former U.S. Senator, as well as a delegation of U.K. lawmakers, and Ambassador Giulio Terzi, former Foreign Minister of Italy.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the keynote speaker of the summit

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI was the keynote speaker of the summit. She paid tribute to Navid Afkari, a rebellious national hero recently executed by the regime. Mrs. Rajavi said: “Faced with executions and massacres, the people of Iran urge the U.N. and the U.N. Security Council, in particular, to restore snapback sanctions stipulated in the six U.N. resolutions against the clerical regime in Iran.”

She continued,”Otherwise, Khamenei will continue to ravage the nation as his regime’s survival depends on murder and suppression. If Khamenei were to stop executions, he would lose control of the situation, and uprisings simmering in the depths of Iranian society would erupt and overthrow the mullahs’ religious fascism.”

At the summit, speakers demanded justice for over 30,000 MEK and other activists, political prisoners massacred in 1988. As a result they urged an end to the appeasement policy and requested those who ordered and carried out this great crime, who currently occupy high positions in the regime, to be brought to justice.

British MP Bob Blackman joined to the summit. In his remarks, Mr. Blackman said, “It’s clear that the time has come to stand with the people of Iran and their resistance movement, the NCRI, and its leader, Madame Rajavi.  Viable in the long-term and provides a solution to the serious concerns and problems with the regime in Iran.”

British MP Bob Blackman

Good friends, Madame Rajavi, honorable colleagues, thank you for inviting me to this important online summit on Iran.  And it’s an honor and privilege to join Iranians in Iran and across the world and the distinguished speakers we’ve heard today to express solidarity with all the people of Iran and to call on the international community and the West to adopt a firm policy towards the regime.

Now, in the coming days, world leaders and ambassadors will gather for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York.  Whether the meetings take place in person or virtually, there should be three pressing issues on the agenda with regard to Iran.  First, extending the expiring UN arms embargo in Iran. 

Second, reimposing all United Nations Security Council Resolutions and international sanctions against the regime in Tehran.  A statement on Iran initiated by the International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran, together with the British Committee for Iran Freedom, and already supported by over 200 Parliamentarians from the United Kingdom, 14 other European and Arabic countries, urge the European and Arabic count- governments to do just that in order to secure the world peace and regional stability, as both are being threatened by the regime in Tehran. 

Allowing the regime in Tehran to legally buy conventional and sophisticated weapons from Russian and China and to continue to peace in our lifetimes, contrary to the illusion of some European diplomats, experts, media, and proponents of the Nuclear Deal.  Appeasing the theocratic leaders in Tehran by overlooking their breaches of their obligations under the Nuclear Deal will not bring about a moderation or reforms to the benefit of the Iranian people. 

Which brings us to the third issue that must be on the agenda of world leaders in New York, which is also the title of our online summit today, time to hold Iran’s regime accountable.  And to do that, the international community should agree to and establish and independent international inquiry into the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, another urgent human rights case in Iran in this year’s United National General Assembly Resolution on Iran.  I urge the UK government to work with our American allies to secure such an accountability process with the aim of prosecuting those regime officials responsible at an international tribune. 

It’s clear that the time has come to stand with the people of Iran and their resistance movement, the NCRI, and its leader, Madame Rajavi.  Viable in the long-term and provides a solution to the serious concerns and problems with the regime in Iran.  If world leaders gathering in New York need any further motivation to muster the political courage to take the tough decisions and make the right policy changes, I advise them to look to the brave people of Iran.