Iranian Opposition, American and European Politicians Call on Firmness on Dealing with Tehran

PARIS, December 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

In an international conference in Paris on Saturday, Iranian opposition, prominent American, and European personalities called for a firm policy on Iran and warned against closing of eyes on the massacre of Iranian dissidents in Iraq as well as extensive violation of human rights in Iran.

Iran News Update (INU) learned that the fate of Iranian dissidents in Iraq and the seven residents of Camp Ashraf who were taken hostage 1 during the raid on the Camp by Iraqi Government forces on September 1 was a main topic of the event. The participants scolded the US and UN for their lack of action and reneging their commitments to guarantee safety and security of Iranian dissidents in Iraq, members of the opposition the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York said: "Camp Liberty is not a concentration camp. It has become an extermination camp." He credited the revelations by MEK on Iranian secret nuclear program as a major factor forcing Tehran to making concessions on nuclear negotiations. "It was not only the harsh sanctions that forced the Iranian regime to make the concession, but the work of the MEK was a major factor. It was the MEK that expose the Iranian regime's secret nuclear program in 2002 and the hidden Fordo enrichment site in 2005" pointed out Giuliani.

The audience at the packed conference hall responded by giving Giuliani a standing ovation.

According to Howard Dean, the former Chairman of the National Democratic Committee "the U.S. State Department lied to the Congress, the American people and the Iranian dissidents about the massacre on September 1 and protecting the Iranian dissidents. US Congress must cut all military and foreign aid to Maliki's government...Now it is time for the State Department to redeem itself."

Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi while referring to the Amnesty International's report on the 600 executions in Iran during the past eleven months, out of which about 400 occurred after Rouhani's election, said that on a daily basis, the mullahs are increasing the suppression, especially the executions, imposing various inequalities against the followers of religions, ethnics and nationalities and various discriminations and violence against the women, … in order to maintain their power.

She asked the international community and particularly the western governments to refer the Iranian regime's dossier of human rights violation to the UN Security Council, to support the freedom of political prisoners, and to condition economic deals with Tehran upon the cessation of executions.

Jean-François Legaret, Mayor of the 1st District of Paris; Michael Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General; Louis Freeh, former Director of FBI; Nontombi Naomi Tutu, human rights activist and daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa; and Geir Haarde, former Prime Minister of Iceland, were among other speakers of the event.

Participants in the conference warned that easing of sanctions at a time that Tehran has not completely given up its nuclear weapons project and while it still seriously enjoys tools to achieve nuclear weapons capability is a colossal blunder, utterly destructive, and solely emboldens Tehran.

Commenting on the nuclear agreement between the P5+1 and Tehran, Rajavi described it as an important turning point in developments relating Iran and added, "Although there are unjustified shortcomings in the agreements, yet the regime had no other choice but to retreat one step due to its weakness. However, one should not come to the conclusion that they have given up their intention for obtaining the bomb. For this regime, negotiation and agreement is just a tactical ploy. It is looking for an opportunity to return to the previous condition."