Iranian Opposition Leader Maryam Rajavi in Rome at Italian Senate Human Rights Committee, and Addressing Meeting at the Italian Parliament

ROME, December 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Iran News Update (http://www.irannewsupdate.com) has reported that Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi is in Rome at the invitation of Italian Parliamentarians.

According to a statement by the Human Rights Commission of the Italian Senate, Mrs Rajavi addressed the Italian Senate Committee official session on December 18. 

According to the Committee statement, Mrs Rajavi elaborated on systematic and egregious human rights violations in Iran.  She pointed out that these violations are carried out with the agreement of all factions within the regime and the number of executions has shown an alarming increase since the election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran's President.

The Iranian opposition leader spoke of the massacre of Iranian dissidents in Iraq at Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty and stressed that 112 Iranian exiles have been killed by Iraqi forces since 2009.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Luigi Manconi said: "As stated in the parliamentary question, we are facing a real danger of rising executions in Iran and the Italian Government should do something about it.

"Mrs. Rajavi's remarks that Islam is not a religion of hatred and imposition, rather it espouses freedom and freedom of choice, should be noted."

Senator Silvana Amati said that improving the human rights situation in Iran without making it conditional on other factors such as economic and trade interests should be a priority.

In the afternoon, Mrs Rajavi addressed a meeting at the Italian Parliament attended by scores of parliamentarians and senators from various groups.

According to Alessandro Pagano, member of Italian Parliament and the President of the 'Italian Committee of Parliamentarians and citizens for a Free Iran' and who chaired the conference, 320 members of Italian Parliament signed an initiative on Iran. According to the bipartisan initiative, the majority members of Parliament, condemned the continuing human rights violations perpetrated the current Iranian government.  The initiative stated: "As demonstrated by the events following the Iranian presidential elections of 14 June, 2013, unfortunately nothing has changed.  In fact unabated violence, torture and persecution has continued against those who oppose the anti- democratic regime of the Ayatollahs, especially against of Resistance of Iran, whose leaders are currently in exile in Iraq in Camp Ashraf."

Italian senator Lucio Malan ( FI), and  Ambassador Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata , the former Italian Foreign Minister were among the speakers of the event.

The majority members of Italian parliamentarians also expressed their support for Mrs Rajavi's 10 point plan for a secular, democratic and free Iran.