Liberty for Iran

European Parliament
AllГe du Printemps
BГtiment Louise Weiss
BP 1024/F
F-67070 Strasbourg Cedex

CC: Ms. Angelika Beer

Chair of the Delegation for relations with Iran
ASP 08 H 240 LOW T05 66
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Belgien


Honourable members of the European Parliament,

The structure of every democratic state consists of parliaments and their members, elected by people in an independent environment. Those elected governments can then pass laws and make political decisions, laws which are legitimate and internationally accepted.

Regrettably some of those parliaments pretend to be democratic, but are truly totalitarian and dictatorial governments. They are not true representatives of their people, only taking advantage of the legislative department for their own interests. You can see this in developing countries, particularly in the Middle East.

Historically, Iranians have suffered under such conditions. A recent example would be the manipulated elections in February 2004. It clearly shows the Iranian authorities creating only an illusion of democracy. Instead of a genuine independent election, a pre-selection process was carried out by the Guardian Council - themselves under the influence of the ruling religious hardliners. This controversial practice is utterly undemocratic, self-sustaining for the religious theocracy, and is condemned by the overwhelming majority of Iranians.

Iranians have suffered suppression at the hands of their current regime for far too long now and are desperately seeking international support. They have no vehicle or mechanism for effecting change within their own country. Exhausted by this fruitless search, people of Iran are being governed by a system that has taken away almost all of their personal and social freedoms.

Despite the clear dictatorial nature of the religious rulers in Iran, world governments appear comfortable recognising the Islamic Regime as a valid political assembly, as shown by the increasing economic ties established with Iran over recent years.

We ask you, members of the European Parliament, to defend the spirit of freedom and democracy in our country. We ask you to take a clear stand against the undemocratic parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They deserve neither legitimacy nor world recognition. Please help sixty million Iranians to have their voices heard, as they are crying out for democracy, personal liberty, and an end to religious oppression.

In the name of freedom,