The Norwegian Parliament, also known as Storting, has united in a global initiative to show solidarity with the uprising of the Iranian people. Their collective stance advocates for the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran, where the separation of religion and state serves as a fundamental pillar. In this pursuit, they endorse the ten-point plan put forth by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.
Condemnation resounds strongly from the majority of the Parliament towards the Iranian regime’s involvement in acts of terrorism across the Middle East and Europe. Norwegian Members of Parliament (MPs) fervently call upon the international community to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and they demand that regime leaders be held accountable for their grave crimes against humanity.
This statement of unified support from the Norwegian Parliament includes representatives from all ten constituent parties. Remarkably, it bears the signatures of three party leaders, three deputy speakers of the Parliament, the heads of four committees, and eleven prominent members of those committees. Furthermore, the list of signatories encompasses a former Prime Minister and four former ministers.
The Norwegian Parliament members explicitly express their endorsement and emphasize the importance of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi‘s ten-point plan in their statement. This comprehensive plan encompasses crucial principles such as the protection of free elections, the guarantee of freedom of assembly and expression, the abolition of the death penalty, the promotion of gender equality, the separation of religion and state, the granting of autonomy to ethnic groups, and the aspiration for a non-nuclear Iran.
The full statement signed by the majority of the Norwegian 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.
