Former Italian Senator and Cuneo Mayor Patrizia Manassero recalls the city’s 2008 twinning with Ashraf and pledges continued support for Iranians facing executions and repression.
Manassero placed the gathering within Cuneo’s historical tradition of resistance to authoritarianism, emphasizing that the city’s commitment to freedom and democracy was rooted in Italy’s own struggle against Nazi-fascism.
“The values of resistance, perseverance, and struggle are deeply rooted in the identity of Cuneo and the other cities represented here today,” she said in her address. That history, she argued, carries a responsibility to support people living under regimes that suppress individual freedoms, restrict democratic institutions, and place citizens’ lives and security at risk.
For Manassero, solidarity with Iran is not simply an expression of sympathy. It reflects a broader commitment to the principles that shaped Italy’s own democratic experience.
Cuneo’s Historic Ties With Ashraf
A central part of her remarks focused on Cuneo’s decision in 2008 to recognize Ashraf as its sister city. The initiative took place during the tenure of former mayor Alberto Valmaggia, whom Manassero acknowledged at the conference.
Ashraf, located in Iraq near the Iranian border, became a home and refuge for members of the Iranian opposition who had fled their country or faced serious security threats because of their commitment to resistance. For Cuneo, the relationship represented a concrete expression of solidarity with those seeking to establish freedom and democracy in Iran.
Manassero described Ashraf as a symbol of the Iranian people’s struggle and their aspiration for a democratic future based on the Ten-Point Plan advanced by Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
The plan envisions a democratic republic founded on fundamental freedoms, equality, and the separation of religion and state. Cuneo’s recognition of Ashraf, she indicated, reflected the city’s identification with these aspirations and its willingness to maintain a lasting connection with Iran’s democratic opposition.
Standing With Iranians Facing Executions
Manassero’s remarks also addressed the human cost of the current situation in Iran. While acknowledging the complex regional conflicts and geopolitical tensions surrounding the country, she stressed that these developments must not divert attention from the wave of executions and the repression inflicted on the Iranian population.
The scale of executions, she said, was deeply distressing. Young women, young men, and protesters face arrest, imprisonment, and execution for their resistance, placing their lives at risk in the pursuit of freedom.
She acknowledged that supporters observing the struggle from abroad can sometimes feel powerless in the face of such suffering, particularly when confronted with the number of lives being lost. But distance, she insisted, must not become a reason for retreat or silence.
Instead, the response must be continued solidarity, perseverance, and a firm commitment to democratic principles.
“We will always stand alongside this resistance movement,” Manassero affirmed, pledging that Cuneo would continue its support.
Her message was directed not only to the Iranian people but also to the mayors and representatives of neighboring communities attending the conference. Their presence, she suggested, demonstrated the importance of collective action and the shared responsibility of democratic societies to defend human rights.
Manassero concluded with a message of hope: despite the brutality of repression and the suffering caused by executions, supporters of Iran’s struggle for freedom must remain steadfast until democracy becomes a reality.
“We will remain by your side, hoping that the light of freedom will shine brightly as soon as possible,” she said.
Her remarks reaffirmed Cuneo’s enduring commitment to the Iranian people’s aspirations and underscored a central message of the conference: opposition to executions must be accompanied by sustained support for the democratic resistance seeking to end repression in Iran.