One hundred and seven former presidents and prime ministers, including a Portuguese one, sent an open letter to world power leaders on Tuesday urging them to support the ongoing uprising in Iran, days after the Iranian regime executed three more demonstrators.
“We call on your countries to support the Iranian people in their struggle for change and to take decisive action against the current regime. [teocrático] — this includes blacklisting the Revolutionary Guards and holding regime leaders accountable for their crimes against humanity,” reads the letter, published by the Center for Research and Documentation Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI), approved by other politicians, former head of state and government, Anibal Cavaco Silva, and former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.
In a text addressed directly to U.S. President Joe Biden, the leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union, and British Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Canadian Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau, the signatories note that “While any changes must be made by the people of Iran, the international community has an obligation to protect their human rights.” “.
They stress that “since September 2022, the world has witnessed a major popular uprising in Iran demanding freedom and democracy” and that since then “reports suggest that more than 750 protesters have been killed and 30,000 arrested”, arguing that “decades The apparent silence and inaction of the international community have contributed to fueling a culture of impunity in Iran”, which must end.
“Since the 1980s, Iranian authorities have executed tens of thousands of demonstrators and political prisoners. Unfortunately, in the summer of 1988 alone, more than 30,000 political prisoners, most of whom were members of the MEK (Organization of the Mujahideen of the Iranian People), the opposition – were brutally massacred,” the signatories recall.
Among them, in addition to the two former presidents of the European Commission – Romano Prodi and Jean-Claude Juncker – three presidents, Nobel Peace Prize winners – Pole Lech Walesa, Colombian Juan Manuel Santos and Costa Rican Oscar Arias. Sanchez.
Affirming that they believe it is time for “the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran to answer for its crimes,” the signatories of the open letter call on Western leaders to “be in solidarity with the people of Iran in their quest for a secular and democratic republic where no one, regardless of religion or origin has no advantage over others.
“Through their slogans, the Iranian people made it clear that they reject all forms of dictatorship, be it the deposed Shah or the current theocratic regime, and therefore reject any connection with any of them,” they emphasize.
“We believe that the Iranian people should decide their future. However, we acknowledge that for four decades, the Iranian National Resistance Council (IRRC) democratic coalition has constantly and tirelessly fought for democratic change, for which they believe that the “Ten Point Plan prepared by NCRI President Maryam Rajavi deserves support.”
On these ten points, they emphasize that “their commitment to free elections, freedom of speech and assembly, abolition of the death penalty, gender equality, separation of religion from state, autonomy for Iran’s ethnic groups, and [a defesa de] a non-nuclear Iran is in line with the democratic values that they stand for.
Finally, former international leaders say they condemn “the Iranian regime’s interference in the Middle East and Europe, including the supply of ‘unmanned aerial vehicles’ (UAVs) to them in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as its terrorist attacks and cyberattacks in Albania”.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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