The Iranian Resistance’s persistence in defending justice and rule of law

In her message of appreciation to all Iranians, parliamentarians, jurists, and dignitaries who have stood up against the disgraceful deal between Belgium and the Iranian regime, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said, “So far, they have brought to light many realities and discredited and condemned auctioneering values and the rule of law.”

Mrs. Rajavi also stressed that the ongoing campaign by Iranian Resistance supporters in Belgium and 14 other countries is the “determining factor in enlightening and awakening the public opinion against this deal and underscored the necessity of continuing them.”

 

In March, in what seems to be a joint effort by Belgium, France, and possibly other European powers, a treaty was signed with Iran that would allow for the transfer of convicted persons, without excluding persons convicted for terrorism crimes. The treaty paves the way for the transfer of Assadollah Assadi, the convicted terrorist diplomat who is currently in a Belgian prison. On June 30, the Belgian government presented the until-now secret treaty to Parliament for urgent ratification. The deal now awaits ratification in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives.

As Mrs. Rajavi said, the widespread campaign of the Iranian Resistance and its supporters has played a key role in preventing this disgraceful deal from coming to fruition so far. Time and again, the regime has tried to carry out plots against the Iranian people and their resistance movement abroad, and time and again, the Iranian Resistance has stood up against the regime’s evil schemes.

In the past year alone, the Iranian Resistance showed its will during the nine months that the trial of torturer and executioner Hamid Noury was ongoing. Iranian Resistance supporters were present outside the courthouse every day, putting on display the atrocities that the regime has committed in four decades.

And today, Iranians are present in front of Belgian embassies across the world, reminding Brussels of its duties to abide by international norms and its own obligations to fight terrorism and preserve the safety of its citizens and Europe.

Filip Dewinter, a member of the Flemish parliament, expressed his solidarity with the large crowd that had gathered in front of the Belgian parliament and stressed that he and his colleagues will continue to stand with the people of Iran against the dictatorship of the mullahs.

 

While demonstrations were ongoing in Belgium and other countries, the foreign relations committee of the Belgian parliament spiraled into turmoil as many representatives questioned the government and echoed the voices of the thousands of Iranians and political dignitaries who had communicated their concern and outrage to them.

Peter De Roover, the leader of the opposition in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, read the letter of former UK Parliament Speaker John Bercow, in Tuesday’s session, in which he called said, “I find it inconceivable that Belgium, considered by many the capital of Europe, and a beacon of democracy and human rights, would even entertain entering into such a treaty with a regime universally recognized as the world’s leading human rights abuser and the most active state sponsor of terror. Here, we are not talking about a trustworthy actor with whom we should sign treaties of the kind customarily tabled before the Parliament. Rather, we are talking about a rogue state whose egregious abuse of human rights is reviled around the world.”

At the same time, Iranian Resistance supporters in the U.S. have raised awareness on the issue with members of the U.S. Congress. On Wednesday, 13 members of the U.S. Congress wrote to the Belgian prime minister, urging him “to lead the Belgian Parliament in rejecting any deal between your government and the Islamic Republic of Iran that would return the terrorist, Assadollah Assadi—or any other convicted Iranian terrorist, for that matter—to the homeland.”

“We applaud the heroism and ingenuity of the Belgian government, first, in preventing a heinous tragedy, and subsequently, in holding to account the reprehensible perpetrators of this dastardly plot executed under the cover of diplomatic immunity—as a testament to the rule of law and a commitment to ridding the world of the scourge of terrorism,” the lawmakers wrote. “Therefore, we implore you to uphold these precious principles and reject any cynical ploy by Iran’s current ‘diplomats’ to trade terrorists for dubiously detained Belgians.”

What we’re seeing is just a glimpse of the tireless efforts by the Iranian Resistance and all its members to protect the rights of the Iranian people. There is no doubt that with the help of freedom-loving people who stand by the side of the Iranian Resistance, the people of Iran will eventually prevail in their struggle against the evil regime of the mullahs.