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. Mr. Raul Ruiz a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 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.
Raul Ruiz, a member of the U.S. Congress joined to the summit. In his remarks, Mr. Ruiz said,”My colleagues and I in Congress passed bipartisan House resolution 752 to support the rights of the people of Iran to free expression and to say forcefully that we condemn the Iranian regime.”
Raul Ruiz, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
My name is Congressman Raul Ruiz, and I’m an emergency physician, and I represent California’s 36th Congressional District. I am proud of the growing Iranian American community in my district. I’ve spoken with members of the community in my district, and I’ve watched the protests in Iran.
I was outraged and devastated when I heard about the execution of Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old political prisoner and wrestling champion, on September 12th. The continued violence, the oppression, the internet blackouts, the large scale incarcerations, the executions, these egregious human rights violations cannot stand.
To the people of Iran, I stand with you, the United States Congress stands with you, and the American people stand with you in your pursuit of liberty and democracy. That’s why earlier this year my colleagues and I in Congress passed bipartisan House resolution 752 to support the rights of the people of Iran to free expression and to say forcefully that we condemn the Iranian regime for its violent oppressive tactics to crack down on these legitimate protests.
In passing this resolution, the United States Congress sent a message, you are not alone in your fight.
America supports you in your protest for your fundamental human rights, freedom, and democracy. And while Navid may no longer be with us, his spirit and his mission remain close to our hearts. We will never forget him and the thousands we lost, and we will keep up the fight until the Iranian people are truly free.
