Thousands of Iranians rallied in Sweden in support of heroine of the People's Mojahedin Organization

Saturday, 24 November 2007

NCRI - On Saturday, November 24, in a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, thousands of Iranians residing in the country, condemned the recent insults to heroine members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) based in Ashraf city (home to the members of the PMOI in Iraq) by the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. The participants expressed their support for the residents of Ashraf city, the PMOI and its struggle against religious fascism ruling Iran.

Iranians also called for an end to appeasement policy of the western countries, in particular Sweden, vis-à-vis the clerical regime. They indicated that the appeasement policy has prepared the grounds for freedom of activities of the agents of the clerical regime's dreaded Gestapo in Sweden. The main task of the mullahs' network in Sweden is to pursue a demonizing campaign against the PMOI. By employing the same network, the clerical regime is trying to extent its suppression and dictatorial measures to Sweden.

Dozens of members of parliaments, prominent jurists and political dignitaries from all over Europe and the U.S. participated in the demonstration.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance addressed the demonstration via satellite link from Paris. She referred to recent insults against the women members of the PMOI in the Swedish press and said, "Why the women members of the PMOI are targets of such a vicious campaign of the clerical regime and its lobbyists in Sweden? The answer is clear: "Since these women are struggling against the religious fascism ruling Iran unabatedly with the objective of bringing down the religious fascism ruling Iran."

Mrs. Rajavi reiterated, "The war of the regime against Iranian people and the struggle of Iranian people for freedom against this regime is not limited to uranium enrichment or giving up nuclear weapons or not even Iraq. The war of Iranian people against the regime is against the entire religious fascism. The culture and history of this regime could be summarized in two words: Intrusion and insult to the dignity, honor and rights of all of Iranian men and women. The third option [in dealing with Iranian situation] is to change the religious dictatorship as a whole by Iranian people and their resistance. Members of the PMOI, the women in particular, have vowed to bring down this inhuman regime and this would take place."

Lord Slynn of Hadley, the former Judge of the European Court of Justice and the distinguished jurist from the U.K. reminded that the members of the PMOI in Ashraf city are "protected persons" by the Fourth Geneva conventions. He pointed out that insulting the residents of Ashraf can be pursued legally in relevant courts.

Professor Steven Schneebaum, former member of Board of Directors of International Human Rights Law Group underscored the legal rights of residents of Ashraf and said that both the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have reiterated on the rights of the residents of Ashraf.

Morten Høglund, a senior member of the Norwegian Parliament who had visited Ashraf city, recalled the humane and democratic relations he witnessed among the members of the PMOI in Ashraf. He said that the PMOI and its presence in Iraq have acted as a major bulwark against the clerical regime's export of violence and fundamentalism to Iraq. He emphasized that experience of the past four years has shown clearly that the clerical regime and its agents are the only party that is interested in the PMOI leaving Iraq and has resorted to various conspiracies, deceits and fabrications to achieve their goal.

Kenneth Lewis, the President of the Swedish branch of Lawyers Without Borders, and lawyer of some families of residents of Ashraf rejected the unfounded allegations against the PMOI and residents of Ashraf. He said that his personal visit to Ashraf in 2004 proved the fallacy of these allegations. He said in the course of the past four years, it has become abundantly clear that the ultimate source that propagates these allegations is the mullahs' dreaded Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

In closing the resolution of the demonstration states, "Iranian people, refugees and dissidents who are in exile as well as Swedish democratic forces condemn the shameless insult to women members of the PMOI in Ashraf city by Bitte Hammargren which was published in Svenska Dagbladet. This was not only an 'insult to human dignity' of 1,000 free women in Ashraf city, but also was an insult to human dignity of all free and freedom seeking Iranian women. This insult arouses the repulsion and rejection of all conscientious individuals, human rights, and women rights advocates."

Secretariat of National Council of Resistance of Iran
November 24, 2007