A former political prisoner under the shah’s dictatorship, Mr. Mohaddessin is now a renowned author of several books on Iran and Islamic fundamentalism. He also chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee of the political coalition, National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI. He spoke about the current situation in Iran, and gave a very interesting update and analysis of, and prospects for, a democratic change.

The “moderate” government of President Rouhani is said to have the highest number of executions in the world, per capita. Rouhani has commented on Iranian TV, that executions “are either God’s commandments or laws made by parliament that belongs to the people and therefore must be implemented.”

The seventeen MEPs from various political groups who spoke at the meeting, focused on human rights the violations in Iran, urging that the EU and European governments relations with this regime be conditioned upon progress on human rights and a halt to executions. The current policy of the EU and EEAS towards Iran, as economic interests are given priority over human rights, was criticized by the MEPs’, who spoke about the growing role in the Iranian economy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). 

They stressed that a large number of companies and business in Iran are either owned by IRGC or affiliated with the IRGC, so when European governments or Mrs. Mogherini, the EU High Representative, encourage investments in Iran, they risk dealing with IRGC.

The MEPs called for IRGC to be designated as a terrorist organization, and for their immediate expulsion  from Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region. They said that IRGC has been active and fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and especially Syria, where they supported the Bashar Assad regime. 

Support for the opposition PMOI and the political coalition NCRI, as well as for the opposition leader, Mrs Maryam Rajavi, whose 10 point plan calls for a secular democratic Iran and the abolishment of death penalty, was discussed as the alternative to the current regime.  

They also talked about the victory of the successful transfer of Iranian dissidents from camp Liberty in Iraq to Europe.

The presidential “elections” in May, which in no way resemble any elections in democratic countries, as no opposition candidates are allowed to take part, were also examined.