While honoring the International Women’s Day, our hearts bleed for the Iranian women who have been the prime victims of the ruling religious dictatorship for more than three decades. On March 8, the International Women’s Day, 80 women were arrested in the streets of Tehran. A few days prior to that a 26-year-old woman was hanged in the city of Isfahan leaving behind her 8-year-old daughter. 

The statement underscores the prominent presence of Iranian women in the resistance movement for democracy and the leading role played by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the movement, in bringing together thousands of women as the vanguards of the resistance against religious fundamentalism side by side the freedom-loving men. 

It also highlights the humanitarian crisis in Camp Liberty where nearly a thousand women, recognised as protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention, face serious risks, including unlawful extradition to Iran. Six of them, who were taken hostage on 1st September from Camp Ashraf, are currently at grave risk of extradition. 

As the session of the UN Human Rights Council going on in Geneva, the statement strongly urges the United Nations Security Council to examine Tehran’s appalling human rights record, particularly women’s right, and take punitive measures. It also calls on the UN, US and EU to take immediate actions for the release of the 7 Camp Ashraf hostages that include six women. It goes on calling for assurances of security for Camp Liberty residents by stationing UN Blue Helmet forces. 

In the end, the British parliamentarians expressed their support for Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point charter for fundamental freedoms in Iran which includes holding free and fair elections, respect for human rights and democracy, gender equality, non-nuclear Iran, separation of church and state, independent judicial system, rule of law and abolition of death penalty. 

Baroness Turner of Camden 

24 March 2014