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Berlin Conference: Prominent German Politicians and Legal Experts Support Iran’s Anti-Execution Movement

At a gathering in Berlin on October 10, 2024, prominent German politicians, legal experts, and human rights advocates came together to condemn the Iranian regime’s excessive use of the death penalty and express their support for a fundamental change in Iran.

Key participants included Bundestag member Thomas Lutze, former Bundestag President Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth, Chair of the German Solidarity Committee for a Free Iran and former Bundestag member Leo Dautzenberg, Deputy Mayor of Berlin Detlef Wagner, former Bundestag member Martin Patzelt, former German Ambassador to Korea Dr. Hans-Ulrich Seidt, Honorary Chairwoman of the Society for Human Rights Katrin Bornmüller, and Superintendent of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg Thomas Harms. The event also featured a speech by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and called for immediate action by European governments to hold Iran accountable for its human rights abuses and pave the way for significant political transformation in the country.

In her remarks, Maryam Rajavi paid tribute to the countless brave women and men who have been executed by the mullahs’ regime, noting that this day serves as an opportunity to express outrage at Iran’s status as the world leader in executions. Mrs. Rajavi stated, “This regime holds the global record for executions, carrying out 74% of the world’s recorded executions last year. It stands as the highest executioner of women in the modern world.”

She further highlighted the regime’s human rights abuses, recalling the 1988 massacre, the 1,500 deaths during the November 2019 protests, and the recent 2022 protests, where the regime continued its brutal repression. Mrs. Rajavi condemned the regime’s institutionalized system of executions, emphasizing that it is the core strategy of the mullahs’ survival.

The NCRI President-elect also pointed to the UN Special Rapporteur’s report, which affirms that Iran’s highest officials, including Ali Khamenei, are responsible for crimes against humanity and genocide. She criticized Western governments for their leniency toward the regime’s atrocities: “Why does a world that has established a ‘No to the Death Penalty’ day continue to tolerate Iran’s regime of executions and massacres?”

Mrs. Rajavi concluded by listing key demands for action:

  1. Support the campaign against the death penalty and make diplomatic relations conditional on ending executions and terrorism.
  2. Hold the regime’s leaders accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity.
  3. Designate the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) as terrorist entities and take action against key officials responsible for executions.
  4. Recognize the legitimacy of the Iranian people’s struggle to overthrow the clerical regime.

Mrs. Rajavi ended by honoring the political prisoners who continue to protest through hunger strikes, affirming the unwavering dedication of the Iranian resistance.

Hosting the conference, Leo Dautzenberg emphasized the critical importance of international efforts against the death penalty in Iran during his opening remarks. He welcomed the attendees and specifically highlighted the role of German supporters of the Iranian Resistance. Dautzenberg pointed out that global execution statistics clearly demonstrate the crimes of the Iranian regime: “When it comes to the death penalty, the ruling theocracy in Iran immediately comes into focus. The mullah regime alone is responsible for almost three-quarters of all executions worldwide.”

Dautzenberg also emphasized the importance of the report by Professor Javaid Rehman, the former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, which underlines the demand for legal accountability of the Tehran regime’s leaders for repeated crimes against humanity and genocide. “Iran is going through one of its darkest periods. The greatest enemy of the Iranian people is its own regime,” Dautzenberg said. He pointed to the decades-long resistance against the regime, which fears the organized opposition because it poses a genuine threat to its survival.

Dautzenberg expressly praised Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, which outlines a clear vision for Iran’s future. “This plan provides a real opportunity to overthrow the religious dictatorship in Iran. However, this change can only be achieved internally by the freedom movement of the Iranian people,” he stated. Concluding his speech, he called on the international community, particularly Europe, to take decisive action against the crimes of the Iranian regime and to support the democratic alternative.

Bundestag member Thomas Lutze, who has closely followed developments in Iran for years, emphasized in his speech that the severity of human rights violations in Iran is often underappreciated in Germany. “The dimension of what is happening in Iran has not yet reached the German public in the way it should,” Lutze stated. He also highlighted the direct connection between Iran and the recent conflicts in the Middle East: “There is no doubt that Iran provides massive support to Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups.”

Lutze called for stronger action against the death penalty and emphasized Germany’s moral responsibility: “The death penalty must be abolished everywhere, and first and foremost in Iran.” He praised the efforts of those participating in the event: “I will continue to advocate for the message of this resistance, which is so clear here, to be heard much more in the Bundestag. We must support the people in Iran in deciding how they want to live, what political system they want, and which religion they wish to follow.”

Former Bundestag President Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth stressed the importance of perseverance in the fight against the Iranian regime. “From the people in Iran, I have learned that the worst thing you can do is to give up on something you believe in,” she said. Süssmuth underscored the necessity of maintaining pressure on the regime while keeping hope alive: “We must believe that the day will come when the Iranian people will be liberated. The fight may seem hopeless, but it has always been worth continuing.”

She praised the courage of the Iranian opposition and its global supporters and urged the international community to strengthen its resistance to the regime.

Martin Patzelt, former Bundestag member and board member of the German Solidarity Committee for a Free Iran, emphasized the importance of international efforts for a free Iran and the support of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI). He stressed the need to support the NCRI and stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, who have endured decades of repression.

Patzelt recalled the 1988 massacre, where 30,000 political prisoners, including members of the MEK, were brutally executed. “In 1988, thirty thousand people were murdered. Ninety percent of these people were MEK, who fought for a different path, not for a path led by religious murderers.” He condemned the regime’s ongoing crimes and pointed out that the disinformation campaigns against the MEK are a strategy to discredit the legitimate opposition.

Patzelt highlighted the importance of countering false information about the MEK. “The Iranian regime’s disinformation campaign is so cunning that even some friends are misled by it. Our goal is to expose these myths and slanders,” he said. He also praised Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI’s role in the fight against the regime: “In her Ten-Point Plan, Mrs. Rajavi has anchored the separation of religion and state, providing a credible and democratic future perspective for Iran.”

In conclusion, Patzelt called for more cooperation among exiled Iranians to unite against the regime. “The only way this can help is if people in exile unite and, despite differing opinions, speak with one voice: This cannot continue in Iran.”

Detlef Wagner, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Youth and Health in Berlin, emphasized the importance of the NCRI and the necessity of regime change in Iran. “All the ugliness we are currently witnessing in the region surrounding Iran and in Iran itself is horrifying to us every time we see it. One thing is clear: if there is no regime change in Iran, we will continue to see these images,” Wagner said.

He stressed how essential it is that the NCRI has people and a network in Iran who provide a vision and a transparent plan for the country’s future. “Maryam Rajavi has made it very clear what she intends to do if Iran becomes a free country again,” Wagner stated. He condemned the continued human rights violations and executions in Iran, particularly the brutal hangings of opposition members. Wagner concluded by emphasizing, “Only a united resistance and the tireless fight for human rights can bring about change in Iran.”

Ambassador Dr. Hans-Ulrich Seidt, former Chief Inspector of the German Foreign Office, provided a historical perspective on Iran’s political development. He emphasized the repeated foreign interventions in Iran that have led to authoritarian regimes. “Today, Iran and its people are searching for change and a new self-determined order,” Seidt remarked, recalling the many missed opportunities for Iran over the past centuries.

Seidt also spoke about the concentration of power in Iran, which lies in the hands of the Supreme Leader, and the role of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), who dominate the country’s institutions. He stressed the importance of international efforts to abolish the death penalty. “It is important to remember that the campaign for the abolition of the death penalty has been a key part of German foreign policy for decades,” Seidt said. He called for realistic diplomacy that prioritizes justice and the protection of human rights in Iran.

Thomas Harms discussed the brutal “double death penalty” practiced by the Iranian regime. “There is the official wave of executions, where the regime flaunts its brutality. But there is also the unofficial machinery of destruction, where regime agents target and kill representatives of the resistance,” he explained. Harms condemned the Iranian regime sharply: “Sin is not crossing a red light or picking an apple from a tree, but sin is alienation from God. And what the mullahs are doing is pure sin, alienating themselves from their Abrahamic God by taking God’s actions into their own hands.”

He stressed that the regime brutally executes young women and men, which is nothing but terrorism. “Despite the darkness, we must continue to preach hope against all hopelessness.”

Katrin Bornmüller spoke about the appalling conditions in Iran and condemned the high number of executions. “The Iranian regime holds the world record for executions in proportion to the population of the country,” said Bornmüller, adding that since the inauguration of Iran’s new president, more than 250 people, including political prisoners and more than ten women, have already been executed.

She stressed that these are not just numbers but real people: “We are talking about human lives, people who, like us, are full of love and life.” Bornmüller recounted her visits to Ashraf 3, home to thousands of members of the MEK in Albania, and highlighted the bravery and resilience of those who have spent years in the prisons of the Shah’s and the mullahs’ dictatorships. “Many of them have lost close family members to the mullah regime. Their perseverance is remarkable.”

She emphasized that Ashraf 3 houses a museum dedicated to the resistance, which depicts the torture and executions of prisoners under the Iranian regime. “Meeting the survivors there and hearing their stories shows both the unimaginable extent of the mullahs’ crimes and the incredible resilience of those who were willing to endure so much pain to bring about freedom,” Bornmüller said.

She concluded her speech with a call to German politicians: “German politicians must align themselves with the future of a free Iran, which is represented here today, and join us in working towards abolishing the death penalty and supporting a free Iran that acts as an ambassador for peace and friendship in the region.