BEHIND THE IRAN HEADLINES Series, September 18, 2024, Alireza Jafarzadeh, NCRI-US Deputy Director
On September 10, United Kingdom lawmakers gathered in Parliament for a conference titled “Human Rights in Iran and the Call for Accountability,” focusing on the escalating human rights abuses under the Iranian regime. The event, which featured speeches from members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and a video address from Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), highlighted the regime’s increasing use of executions and its repression of dissent.
Speakers stressed the urgent need for international action, calling for the UK government to take stronger measures against the regime, including designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. They underscored the importance of supporting the Iranian people’s fight for democracy and freedom, emphasizing the NCRI’s role as a viable democratic alternative.
In her speech, Mrs. Rajavi condemned the regime’s execution of 150 people since Masoud Pezeshkian became president. She argued that executions are not merely punitive but serve as tools to maintain the regime’s control amid growing public unrest. Mrs. Rajavi warned that the regime is trying to stifle opposition by spreading disinformation and intimidating young Iranians from joining the resistance.
“The regime’s strategy is clear,” the NCRI President-elect said, “It uses demonization and threats to deter young Iranians from joining the resistance. It tries to extend its suppression of the opposition even outside Iran, and it spreads disinformation to create the false narrative that there is no viable alternative to the current regime.”
Mrs. Rajavi concluded by urging the international community, particularly the UK, to take concrete steps to hold the Iranian regime’s leaders accountable for crimes against humanity and to officially recognize the IRGC as a terrorist organization, strengthening efforts to support the Iranian people’s fight for a democratic future.