Speaking at the UK Parliament, Baggy Shanker emphasized the right of the Iranian people to freely determine their country’s future through a genuinely democratic process.
Speaking at a conference at the UK Parliament on Iran’s human rights situation and prospects for democratic change, UK Member of Parliament Baggy Shanker said the situation in Iran must change, while emphasizing that the Iranian people themselves must determine the country’s future.
Shanker stressed that political change in Iran should not be dictated by outside actors. In his remarks, he repeatedly emphasized the principle that Iranians must be given a free choice over the political future of their country.
“The situation in Iran needs to change, and it must change,” Shanker said, while adding that it has to be the Iranian people who decide “what’s right for Iran and what’s best for Iran.”
Iranian People Must Decide Iran’s Future
Shanker rejected the idea that another country or outside political actor should determine Iran’s future. He argued that any process of change must be both presented as democratic and genuinely democratic in practice.
For him, this means ensuring that the people of Iran have a free choice in determining the political system and direction of their country.
The MP’s remarks placed popular sovereignty at the center of the question of political change in Iran. Rather than prescribing a particular outcome, he emphasized the principle that Iranians themselves should be able to decide how they want their country to be governed.
His comments echoed a recurring theme at the parliamentary gathering: that international support for change in Iran should not amount to imposing a predetermined political future on the Iranian people.
Support for Iran’s Freedom Advocates
Shanker also used his brief remarks to express support for organizations and activists working on Iran-related issues in the UK Parliament.
He said he was familiar with the groups participating in the event and had encountered them regularly in Westminster Hall and elsewhere in Parliament.
In particular, he praised the work of the British Committee for Iran Freedom, describing its efforts on behalf of the Iranian community as effective. He also commended the committee’s approach to raising concerns and presenting issues related to Iran.
Shanker said the committee’s mission and objectives were appropriate and praised those involved for their work.
A Focus on Democratic Choice
Although Shanker’s intervention was brief, its central message was clear: political change in Iran must ultimately be determined by the Iranian people and must involve a genuine democratic choice.
His remarks also placed the role of international supporters in a supporting rather than determining position. He presented his own participation at the UK Parliament gathering as an expression of solidarity with those advocating change and greater freedom for Iran.
“I’m here just to show my support,” he said, concluding his remarks by reiterating that he was attending to lend his support.
The intervention added a parliamentary voice to the broader discussion at Westminster about Iran’s future, emphasizing the principle that any political transformation should respect the right of the Iranian people to freely determine their country’s direction.