Iran opposition leader Maryam Rajavi has addressed a senate panel of more than 20 Italian senators and parliamentarians from across the political spectrum attended a conference at the Senate building, calling on the Government of Italy to recognize the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran as genocide and a crime against humanity.
The Senators and lawmakers also called for an end to impunity for those responsible, in particular the Iranian regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi, for the 1988 massacre and the November 2019 cold-blooded murder of protesters, urging the Government to take the lead in the European Union and the United Nations in bringing to justice the perpetrators of these atrocities.
Raisi was one of four members of the Tehran Death Committee that carried out the 1988 massacre. Many prominent international jurists have described the 1988 crime as genocide and a crime against humanity. As the Judiciary Chief, Raisi was involved in the killing of at least 1,500 demonstrators and the arrest, torture and imprisonment of 12,000 demonstrators, during the November 2019 uprising.
Senator Roberto Rampi moderated the conference, in which senators Lucio Malan, Enrico Aimi, Stefano Lucidi, Maria Virginia Tiraboschi, Marco Perosino, and Stefania Pezzopane, a member of Italian parliament as well as former Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi spoke.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was the keynote speaker and joined the meeting virtually.
“Khamenei and his regime have declared war on the Iranian people and the international community by appointing Ibrahim Raisi as president and accelerated their efforts to develop an atomic bomb,” Mrs. Rajavi said, adding, “We aim to find a complete list of those executed and the location of their graves. The purpose of this call to justice is to prosecute those responsible, including Khamenei and Raisi. Ultimately, the objective of the call for justice movement is to free Iran from repression and violence.”
Referring to the November 2019 massacre of protesters, the NCRI President-elect said it was the largest massacre of protesters in the contemporary era. To prevent the recurrence of such carnage, the Iranian people and resistance demand that respect for the human rights and the protection of the lives of Iranian protesters should be at the heart of any negotiations with the clerical regime. Without insisting on the human rights in Iran, no negotiation or attempt to stop the regime from acquiring the atomic bomb will succeed.
In part of his remarks, Senator Rampi said, “Impunity reigns in Iran. In the summer of 1988 over 30,000 political prisoners were massacred, 90% of them members and supporters of the main democratic popular opposition movement, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). This was a clear case of crime against humanity and a genocide. While the Iranian resistance immediately alerted the United Nations and the world community, no action was taken. This silence legitimized the impunity and emboldened the regime. No official was held to account. Following the recent calls by Amnesty International and the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, as a member of the Senate Human Rights Committee, I think it is a duty for all parliaments of the world to address this matter as Italy did for the massacres in Rwanda and Srebrenica.”
In his remarks, Senator Lucidi noted that Iran plays a destabilizing role in the region and this could be resolved once human rights issues are resolved.
Senator Enrico underscored, “We all advocate a free Iran. The women of Iran are ready to fight for freedom and we must support them. We are with you in your struggle.”
Senator Perosino stressed, “We must convey the message to Iran’s regime that the world is ready to act. We must ask for the release of political prisoners. The Iranian people are entitled to enjoy freedom.”
Senator Pezzopa said, “The least we can do in our parliament is to recognize the #1988Massacre as a crime against humanity and to pay tribute to the victims.”
Foreign Minister Terzi added, “Any political relations with Iran must bring justice to the 1988 massacre and the massacre of protesters in 2019. We must bring the regime’s criminals before the int’l court, including Ebrahim Raisi, the new president.”
Speakers also underscored that Raisi’s appointment as the president was clearly a clear sign of the regime’s growing desperation in the face of looming uprisings and was aimed at suppressing internal dissent and intimidation to silence the Iranian people. They added that the international community cannot remain silent in the face of these atrocities and urged for a decisive policy towards the Iranian regime, where human rights should be front and center.
They also emphasized that the continuation and expansion of relations with the regime must be predicated upon notable and significant improvement of the human rights situation. especially an end to torture and executions.
The speakers also voiced support for Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point plan for a democratic republic based on the separation of religion and state, gender equality, ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, and the abolition of the death penalty.
Source » eureporter