Maryam Rajavi’s message to Italian Senate conference on Iran

Maryam Rajavi: Those describing Rouhani as a moderate seek to justify their relations with the criminal Iranian regime

We warn Western governments against shaking hands with Rouhani and against emboldening the mullahs in further killing of dissidents in Iran and massacre of people in the region

 The following is the text of the remarks by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, to a conference on human rights in Iran on Thursday in the Italian Senate. A statement supported by a majority of Italy’s Senators was unveiled at the conference calling on the government to make its relationship with Iran’s regime contingent upon an end to human rights abuses in the country.

12 November 2015

Dear Senator Malan,
Honorable senators and representatives,
Dear friends,

Greetings to your conference and my heartfelt appreciations for your concern about human rights in Iran and your support for the Iranian Resistance members in Liberty.

Since the October 29th massacre in Camp Liberty, this catastrophe has been in the center of Iranian people’s provoked sentiments. In addition to the 24 persons killed, a large number of the residents have been wounded or hurt. Many have suffered rupture of tympanic membrane in one or both ears and need serious medical care.

One-third of the total number of trailers in the camp have been either destroyed and burned or rendered unusable. Also, large portions of the camp’s infrastructures have been destroyed.

Nevertheless, Iraqi forces have intensified their siege of the camp. Despite passage of two weeks from the attack, they have not permitted burial of the martyrs. They have not allowed in machinery to clean up the camp and normalize the situation. They have not allowed in even the basic tools needed for repair of the damaged equipment. They do not allow septic trucks enter the camp and most of the days, they prevent entry of food stuff and fuel.

The objective of the Velayat-e Faqih regime was to completely destroy the camp and kill all PMOI members. The mullahs need such a massacre because of three main reasons:

First, their unwanted retreat from making the nuclear bomb;

Second, the defeat of the regime’s strategy in Syria;

And third, because the clerical regime tries to confront the democratic alternative that it deems as its existential threat.

They needed the nuclear bomb and interference in Syria to prevent the regime’s downfall.

On November 1, Khamenei said, “Had we not intervened in Syria, we would have suffered a strike inside Iran.”

Now that they have reached the end of the line, they are ever more afraid of the organized Iranian Resistance.

On the other hand, those who conceded to the nuclear agreement out of weakness, want to cover up their weakness by executions and by rocket attacks on their opponents.

The rocket attack on Camp Liberty took place the night before the regime took part in the Vienna conference on Syria and two weeks before Rouhani’s visit to Rome and Paris.

The Iranian people’s question is why should they pay the price of this decadent regime’s relations with the West with the blood of their most beloved children?

Those who call Rouhani a moderate want to justify relations with this murderous regime. Is 2000 executions during Rouhani’s term a sign of moderation?

By any definition, the September 1, 2013, massacre in Camp Ashraf and the deadly rocket attack of October 29, 2015, on Camp Liberty are crimes against humanity, and Rouhani is absolutely responsible for both crimes in his capacity as the regime’s president and head of its Supreme National Security Council.

Last August 31, while dubbing the Mojahedin as terrorist, he reiterated, “We will use all our power and capacities to fight against terrorism wherever it is necessary.”

Those who think the nuclear agreement is a sign of the regime’s moderation are mistaken. This retreat was the outcome of the regime’s weakness vis-à-vis the Iranian people’s profound disenchantment. They fear a repeat of the 2009 uprisings.

Now, when a religious fascism suffers a setback, why should Western governments lend it a helping hand? In the 1990s, they made the same mistake about Khatami. Several European governments rolled out red carpets for him. Despite such supports and instead of growth of bogus moderates, Ahmadinejad took power.

We warn Western governments that they should not embolden the mullahs in killing their opponents in Iran and the people of the region, by shaking Rouhani’s hand.

When the PMOI was being forcibly transferred from Ashraf to Camp Liberty in 2012, the UN, US and EU that Italy is a member of, pledged to guarantee protection of the PMOI. Since then, the PMOI has been the target of five massacres and rocket attacks. This is while the Iranian Resistance had repeatedly given advance warnings to the UN and Western governments.

Today, we call on the government of Italy and other governments of EU, the US and UN to take immediate measures to fulfill their pledges to protect Camp Liberty.

The Iranian people have long-time relations and friendship with the people of Italy. We welcome expansion of relations with Italy in all scientific, technologic, cultural and economic grounds. In the present circumstances, however, the mullahs take advantage of such relations to step up their despotism and further restrict freedoms.

We call on Italy and all Western governments to make their relations with this regime contingent on the end to executions and halt of attacks on Liberty.

With wishes of success for your conference, I would like to sincerely appreciate the efforts of the honorable Italian personalities, in support of Camp Liberty and in defense of human rights in Iran. History will judge that they are the respectable symbols of defense of freedom and democracy in Italy and all the Europe.

I thank you all.