Shahin Gobadi, a leading figure in the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the country's parliament in exile, is calling for “decisive action” from the European Union in response to the regime’s brutal crackdown following widespread protests which have left hundreds dead.
Gobadi, a member of the NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee and frequent visitor to Brussels, declared that the EU must do more to stop the violent response against the uprising by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s security forces.
However, he opposes foreign military intervention by European countries – or the United States.
“The overthrow of this dictatorship must and will be carried out by the Iranian people themselves and the organised resistance inside Iran,” he declared.
“What Europe and the United States should do is stop being neutral between the people and their executioners. They must side with the Iranian people by applying decisive political, legal and economic action against the regime.”
Gobadi said that the European Union should immediately impose sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and refer Iran’s leaders to international tribunals for crimes against humanity.
Isolating the regime is crucial, he continued. “The EU should close embassies used as hubs for intelligence and repression, and expel regime diplomats involved in surveillance and intimidation of dissidents.”
He is also calling for support to allow communication to get through from Iran, following the leadership’s internet shut down and moves to block contact through Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network.
“The EU and US should guarantee free internet access through satellite and other technologies, and counter the regime’s disinformation and cyber warfare,” he added.
No return for the shah's son
Gobadi said the National Council of Resistance is “absolutely” against any return for Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of the late former Shah.
“The Iranian people are not rising to replace one unelected ruler with another, whether crowned or cloaked. They are fighting for a democratic republic, not a return to the Shah under a different name.
“Reza Pahlavi has no organisational structure inside Iran, no capacity to protect protesters, and no role in sustaining the uprising. In fact, his attempts to brand this revolution as a restoration project help the regime by dividing society and alienating the very people, especially young Iranians, who are risking their lives in the streets.
“Iran’s future must be decided by Iranians inside Iran through free elections, not by nostalgia, inherited titles, or foreign-backed personalities.”
The demonstrations in Iran began in the bazaars of Tehran on 28 December, fuelled by anger over soaring prices and a collapsing currency. Protests quickly spread to universities and towns far from the country’s capital of Tehran.
The NCRI was established in 1981 and aims aims to establish a pluralistic republic based on freedom, rights for women, separation of religion and state, and the abolition of the death penalty.
NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi visited Ypres last month, attending the nightly Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. She was invited to Belgium by former prime minister Yves Leterme who called for the restoration of democracy in Iran.
