Anniversary of Iranian Regime Marks Destruction of Human Rights

The Iranian regime is now in its 40^th year of ruling over Iran. The Iranian people have been in a state of ongoing protests since December 2017. These demonstrations and protests have received a harsh response from the regime and its security forces. The primary focus of the regime’s war against the opposition is targeting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), one of the largest resistance groups.

The regime is known for its use of execution to repress the Iranian people, include the massacre of 30,000 people in the summer of 1988. For the Iranian people, the regime has mismanaged the resources and economy of the country to the point that a majority of Iranians live in poverty. In order to divert the Iranian people from the chaos in their country, the regime has attempted to distract the Iranian people with its military efforts throughout the region and various terrorist attacks against the Iranian resistance.

Regime Officials Speak Out About Threat of Resistance

There are a variety of regime officials that are speaking out against the resistance, particularly the PMOI/MEK, because it is evident that the resistance is seen as a real threat to the regime’s existence. As a result, they have increased their terrorist activities, particularly in Europe.

“The enemy’s front is vast. It is not limited to the borders, such as the era of the Sacred Defense (referring to the Iran-Iraq war back in the 1980s)…The enemy is attempting to infiltrate through all fronts, all channels. They are everywhere, especially through new technology through devices and tools that they have, they have infiltrated into our homes, the markets, the universities, the religious centers, in cyberspace, inside the country and abroad. This enemy has spread everywhere,” said Seyed Mohammad Saeedi, the Friday prayer imam in Qom, central Iran.

He also acknowledged that this was a fight for the very existence of the regime. That means the regime has increased its efforts to discredit the resistance within the international community, as well as using its Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack or attempt assassinations against the leaders and members of the Iranian resistance.

Over the last 40 years, the only real winners have been members of the Iranian regime. The biggest economic beneficiary has been the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. His current fortune is estimated at $95 billion. Other members of the regime have also amassed large fortunes. While the regime plunders the nation’s wealth, the people are getting poorer and poorer.

At least half of Iranians cannot find stable employment. Recent estimates suggest that 3 million Iranians who can work, cannot find any work at all. This number includes a variety of young people who are recent graduates.

The corruption and terrorism that keep the regime in power mean that the Iranian parliament is struggling to pass the Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) bill and the Iranian Expediency Council is still discussing the Palermo bill. Both are necessary to comply with international anti-money laundering and terrorism financing laws and standards, while also evading additional sanctions.

“FATF (Financial Action Task Force) is an oppressive treaty and it’s not in the country’s interests to pass it and we can’t keep silent [about that],” said Hossein Nouri Hamedani, a high-profile cleric. It must be noted that transparency in banking and not funding terrorism is what the Iranian officials consider to be outside of Iran’s best interests, because it is out of theirs.

“The regime is founded on the idea of exporting their malign and bloody revolution across the Middle East and eventually the world. To do that, they need terrorists and to get terrorists they need to pay. Iran can’t stop funding terrorists or they’d be admitting that their regime is not going to last,” said Amir Taghati, a journalist who covers Iran.

Resistance Calls for Change

Part of the efforts of the resistance include rallies that have received international support. On February 8, there is a Free Iran rally being called for by the French Committee in Support of Human Rights in Iran (CSDHI). Today, the Iranian regime, is more bogged down than ever and the people are calling for change.

“We have always urged western governments to be firm against the mullahs’ terrorist dictatorship. So, today, we urge them to expel the mercenaries of the mullahs’ intelligence services and the terrorist Qods Force from the U.S. and Europe. We also urge democratic countries to support human rights in Iran. The only force which could end the Iranian regime’s terrorism and belligerence is the uprising of the people of Iran with their organized resistance,” said Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

With the increasing number of sanctions against the Iranian regime and the efforts of various governments to begin to limit the reach of the regime, it is clear that change is possible and that a Free Iran could be a reality shortly, despite the efforts of the mullahs.