North Macedonia: The majority of the North Macedonian Parliament, consisting of 65 representatives out of 120, have expressed their unequivocal support in a joint statement for the Iranian people’s uprising in their quest for a democratic republic founded on the principles of religious and state separation. Additionally, they have extended their endorsement to Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for the future of Iran.
Among the notable signatories of this impactful statement are the heads of ten parliamentary committees in North Macedonia, including the Chairman and eleven members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Furthermore, heads of the European Affairs, Gender Equality, Health, and Education committees have also lent their names to this statement.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, as the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), introduced her 10-point plan over two decades ago. This comprehensive plan advocates for fundamental principles such as free elections, freedom of speech and assembly, the abolition of the death penalty, gender equality, the separation of religion and state, self-determination for ethnicities, and the establishment of a non-nuclear Iran. These values resonate closely with the democratic ideals upheld in our own nations.
The majority of representatives in the North Macedonian Parliament have explicitly declared their call for the international community to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people’s pursuit of change. They have urged the adoption of decisive measures against the current regime, which includes blacklisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and ensuring that regime officials are held accountable for their crimes against humanity.
The full statement signed by the majority of the North Macedonia parliament is as follows:
Support the Iranian People in Their Struggle
For a Secular and Democratic Republic
February 2023
For the past six months, the world has witnessed a sweeping popular uprising in Iran, demanding freedom and democracy. Some 750 protesters have been killed and 30,000 arrested. While any change should come from the Iranian people and their own resistance, the international community has its own responsibility.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Iran in their desire for a secular and democratic republic where no individual, regardless of religion or birthright, has any privilege over others. Through their slogans, the Iranian people have made it clear that they reject all forms of dictatorship, be it the deposed Shah or the current theocratic regime, and thus reject any association with either.
We believe it is for the Iranian people to decide their future. However, we recognize the fact that over the past four decades, the democratic coalition of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has constantly and tirelessly pursued democratic change. In this respect, we believe the Ten-point Plan articulated by the NCRI President, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, deserves our support. It stands for free elections, freedom of assembly and expression, abolition of the death penalty, gender equality, the separation of religion and state, autonomy for Iran’s ethnicities, and a non-nuclear Iran.
The Iranian people’s courageous uprising can be attributed, on the one hand, to the explosive state of Iranian society, a product of suppression, poverty, discrimination, and government corruption, and, on the other hand, four decades of nationwide organized resistance. Tragically, in the summer of 1988 alone, over 30,000 political prisoners – the vast majority of whom were members of the MEK – were brutally massacred.
We condemn the Iranian regime’s meddling in the Middle East region and Europe, including its terrorist attempts and cyber-attacks in Albania.
We urge the international community to stand with the Iranian people in their quest for change and to take decisive steps against the current regime. This includes blacklisting the IRGC and holding regime officials accountable for their crimes against humanity.
