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. Ms. Jan Schakowsky, 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. Also, 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.

Jan Schakowsky, member of the U.S. House of Representatives joined to the summit. In her remarks, Ms. Schakowsky said, “Too many people have disappeared or have been murdered at the hands of the regime. This includes people like Navid Afkari and other human rights activists.”

Jan Schakowsky, member of the U.S. House of Representatives

Thank you so much for allowing me to join you today via video to discuss the human rights situation in Iran. Without a doubt, the treatment that minorities receive in Iran is deplorable. This is a regime that brutally represses minorities and political opposition, violates due process, executes minors, detains foreign nationals and violates the most basic human rights that any person in the world should ask for. Too many people have disappeared or have been murdered at the hands of the regime. This includes people like Navid Afkari and other human rights activists.

The human rights record of the Iranian regime deserves to be condemned by all responsible nations in the entire world. My congressional district is home to one of the most beautiful and peaceful Baháʼí temples in the world. In Wilmette, Illinois, the Baháʼí are free to worship and celebrate without fear of any kind of government repression.

This is not the case in Iran, where they suffer persecution and violence. It is incumbent on all Americans to support Iranian Americans and Iranians in Iran in their quest for democracy and freedom in their country.

We have to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and other weapons of war. We have to isolate the Iranian regime diplomatically, and we must support activists inside Iran working to secure a better and more peaceful Iran. One thing I can say for certain in these uncertain times is that I will stand with you and in a bipartisan way, the United States Congress also stands with you. I will continue to fight to hold the Iranian regime accountable and work toward the day that Iran is free, secure and democratic. And that day will come. Thank you so much.