A clear message of solidarity with Iran’s democratic opposition emerged this week from Latin America. In a significant move, a majority of Costa Rica’s parliament—29 of 57 lawmakers—signed a joint statement in support of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and endorsed the Ten-Point Plan of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
The statement, titled “Iran 2025”, condemned the ruling clerical regime’s ongoing repression and nuclear adventurism, urging international recognition of the Iranian people’s right to overthrow the regime and resistance efforts by PMOI-affiliated Resistance Units. It also called for the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, citing its role in domestic suppression and foreign terrorism.
“While the Tehran regime continues its nuclear ambitions and terrorism, appeasement is a betrayal of democratic values,” the statement reads. “It emboldens the regime to escalate its repression and weakens global security.”
Ana Helena Chacon Echeverria: We Will Fight for Iran and Women’s Rights@anita_chae , Vice President of Costa Rica (2014-2018), and Ambassador to Spain (2018-2022).
Ms. Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría is a Costa Rican politician known for her advocacy in women’s rights, human… pic.twitter.com/o6iWD5LPeP
— Women's Committee NCRI (@womenncri) March 10, 2024
Lawmakers underscored the dramatic deterioration of human rights in Iran, citing over 1,000 executions in 2024 alone and the passage of the regime’s so-called “Hijab and Chastity” bill, which tightens enforcement of compulsory veiling and targets women leading dissent. They also condemned the death sentences of nine political prisoners, all accused of affiliation with the PMOI, as evidence of the regime’s “desperation and fear of organized resistance.”
The statement acknowledged the collapse of Tehran’s regional influence, pointing to the weakening of Hezbollah and the fall of the Assad regime as “serious blows to its survival strategy.”
Referring to the 2022 nationwide protests, the Costa Rican MPs affirmed: “The people of Iran rejected all forms of dictatorship, whether monarchic or religious, and demanded a democratic republic.”
Costa Rican MP @MontseRuizGue: The Fight for a #FreeIran2024 is Universalhttps://t.co/igLRKL74kc
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 13, 2024
The lawmakers emphasized that, given the regime’s total closure of political space, the international community must recognize the right of Iranians to resist tyranny, including the organized network of Resistance Units inside Iran. They demanded that this resistance be viewed as a legitimate struggle, not criminalized, and insisted that the IRGC be treated accordingly.
Central to their support was Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, which outlines a democratic roadmap for a future Iran based on pluralism, gender equality, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear policy. The MPs stated: “This vision reflects the demands heard across Iran: ‘No to compulsory hijab,’ ‘No to religious rule,’ ‘No to dictatorship,’ ‘No to executions.’”
Former Costa Rican VP @anita_chae: Global Solidarity for #Iranian Women’s Resistancehttps://t.co/DP0NDR8a32
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 13, 2024
They called on all democratic governments to endorse the NCRI’s platform and lend political recognition to the Iranian people’s right to decide their future. This aligns with growing international momentum: in June 2024, over 4,000 lawmakers and 100 former heads of state from around the world expressed public support for the NCRI and Mrs. Rajavi’s program.
In closing, the Costa Rican lawmakers declared: “Opposition to tyranny and solidarity with Iran’s democratic alternative is not only a matter of Iranian concern—it is a global imperative.”