The statement by MEPs emphasizes on the role of the leaders of the mullahs' regime in "state-sponsored terrorism", "assassination of Iranian dissidents" abroad, "support for terrorist groups" in the Middle East and "incitement to murder foreign nationals such as Mr. Salman Rushdie."
The MEPs condemn the flagrant violations of human rights and the unprecedented rise in executions and arrests in Iran, and declare that "support for Maryam Rajavi, the President-Elect of the National Council of Resistance, who as a symbol of national unit y is backed by the majority of the Iranian people, will contribute to the establishment of democracy in Iran and peace and stability in the region. This Resistance and its 570-member parliament, which have committed themselves to holding free elections an d the creation of a secular and pluralist government, offer the best answer to the ominous spectre of fundamentalism as the new global threat."
The complete text of the press release issued this morning by members of the European Parliament follows.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran - Paris
October 23, 1997
The statement was signed by a wide spectrum of MEPs from different political groups and forwarded to Mr. Jacques Santer, President of the European Commission, and Mr. Wohlfart, Deputy Foreign Minister of Luxembourg and President in Council of the European Union. The letter was signed by a number of signatories of the original statement including Stanley Newens MEP, Edward McMillan-Scott MEP, Ludivinia Garcia Arias MEP and Luciano Pettinari MEP.
The statement refers to a number of cases of human rights violations and urges an end to the export of terror which has been responsible for the death of six more Iranians living abroad since the accession of President Khatami.
Signatories stated that "we believe that the adoption of a strong and decisive policy is imperative and recognise that the trade and economic stands of the west have effectively supported this terrorist regime."
They express support for the opposition to the regime and recognise in the statement that Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has become a "symbol of national unity" which will "contribute to the establishmen t of democracy in Iran and peace and stability in the region."
In their accompanying letter the signatories state: "Nearly five months after presidential elections in Iran, developments inside the country and the Iranian leaders' public statements and policies have shown quite clearly that the new government is in re ality no different from its predecessors. It still essentially advocates the same policies: repression inside Iran and the export of crisis and violation of international law abroad."
They go on to point out that the new President and other officials have reiterated opposition to the Middle East peace process; the President has emphasized in the past the necessity of carrying out the fatwa (religious edict) for the execution of British author Salman Rushdie. They also refer to the public hanging of 46 people in the last three months and the killing of 14 dissidents abroad since the beginning of the year, and air attacks on the camps of the Iranian Resistance in Iraq which have been con demned by several countries.
"We would be well advised not to return our Ambassadors to Tehran until the Iranian regime gives some assurance that it will end human rights abuses and puts and end to its policy of exporting terrorism and fundamentalism", they added in their letter.
The statement calls on the EU to adopt policies with the aim of bringing pressure to bear on the Iranian authorities to end the oppression of all Iranian citizens, to prevent them from acquiring nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction and to dis suade them from giving support to groups which are prepared to use violence to frustrate the Middle East peace process.
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