40 Years of Misery for the Iranian People Result in Calls for Regime Change

Starting in December of last year, the Iranian people began an uprising that has continued throughout this year and into 2019. The focus of these protests and uprisings includes not only the economy, but the repressive measures taken by the regime against the human rights of Iranians.

In fact, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani acknowledged that there is no such thing as a free press in his country during a meeting with senior heads of the Iranian Ministry of Information and Communications Technology on January 21. “We think we have received divine authority that allows us to order people around; that is not the case…We have government-run press, government-run TV and radio,” said Rouhani.

It appears that he blames increased social media usage on a lack of a free press. “(The people) express everything (on social media) because they have no where else to talk. If the various factions had a TV station, they would express half of their statements there. They would talk officially, not unofficially, and it would be clear who is saying what. But now (on social media) it’s not clear who these people are and where they came from,” said Rouhani.

He supported the filtering and monitoring of social media. “The important issue is that we should not let them overthrow the state before we use social media platforms and relevant officials have to use their authority to counter this trend,” said Ahmad Khatami, the Assembly of Expert spokesman.

Economic Freefall Rocks Iran As Regime Continues to Spend on Military

The Iranian regime is mismanaging the resources of its people. Many vital construction projects are being neglected or have been shut down, while ministries for education, transportation, and healthcare are underfunded. Despite this economic crisis, the regime continues to fund its military and security operations.

Earlier this week, the Iranian people watched as more of their money went up in a satellite that exploded before entering orbit. It could have fed starving people or helped to create jobs, but instead it fed the ego of this dictatorship. The middle class of Iran is being wiped out due to the choices of Iranian leadership, even as they try to shift the blame to international sanctions.

Sanctions continue to grow as the regime increases its terrorist activities in Europe to combat the Iranian resistance and its leadership, as they continue to gain international support.

“Experience has shown that this regime exploits every opportunity that exists in Western countries for espionage, terror, technology theft, drug smuggling, and other illegitimate purposes. On the other hand, the income from foreign trade is spent mainly for the oppression of the Iranian population, for warmongering and export of terrorism, and in short to bolster the mullahs’ reprehensible rule,” said an article released by the German representative office of the NCRI.

The Iranian resistance called for the entire IRGC and the MOIS to be included in the list of terrorist organizations and all their agents and spies to be expelled from Europe.

Human Rights Abuses Part of Regime’s Repression

The Iranian resistance continues to call for greater accountability for the regime, particularly as it relates to their human rights abuses. The MEK/PMOI, a resistance group, have called for increasing protests and regime change. They are part of a coalition of resistance groups, known as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Iranians from across Europe as well as a number of humanitarian dignitaries will be taking part in a Free Iran rally to be held on February 8 in Paris. The event is focused on the demands of the Iranian people for fundamental freedoms in every corner of the country. Iran stands on the brink of its 40-year anniversary of the regime, and those 40 years have been misery under the fundamentalist dictatorship. They have tried to destroy the cultural fabric of Iran to protect their power.

One of the ways that they have done so is by limiting gatherings, especially the celebrations for Cyrus the Great. In the end, however, the regime’s attempts to stop the changes coming is like trying to stop a tidal wave. The Iranian people, as this rally in Paris demonstrates, are determined to finally have the freedom promised by a revolution 40 years ago.