A meeting on stoning and execution in Iran at the house of commons in the UK
On Tuesday 11 February, a meeting on stoning and executions in Iran was held at the UK House of Commons. At this meeting, in which several Members of Parliament and members of the public attended, Mina Ahadi, Coordinator of the International Committee against Stoning and Maryam Namazie, Coordinator of the Campaign against Executions in Iran, spoke about the brutal law of stoning and escalating executions in Iran.
The speakers highlighted the Islamic regime of Iran's serious and gross violations of rights and urged MPs to exert pressure on the UK government to end political relations with the regime until the abolishment of stoning and an end to executions.
In her speech, Mina Ahadi said: 'while Amnesty International has collected one and a half million signatures for a petition against stoning, the British government has not uttered even a single word of criticism of stoning - let alone condemn it. Tony Blair and Jack Straw have made no protests whatsoever to the Iranian government against stoning or other horrendous violations of human rights in Iran. Indeed, they have shown no interest at all. The policy of the European governments and the EU towards the Islamic Republic of Iran has been one of appeasement and support – something which we and other human rights’ organisations have strongly condemned.' She added that while the Islamic regime of Iran has retreated as a result of the International Committee against Stoning's pressure and temporarily suspended stoning, the cancellation of the stoning law depends on continuing this struggle and exposing this issue internationally.
In her speech, Maryam Namazie said: 'Furthering relations with the Islamic regime, including recent meetings between Tony Blair, Jack Straw and Donald Anderson with the regime's foreign minister, Kamal Kharazzi, are deplorable. They condone, maintain and justify the escalating executions and human rights violations in Iran. The UK and EU have been 'dialoguing' with the Islamic regime for many years; nothing has fundamentally changed. In fact, the human rights situation has worsened. Clearly, dialogues and bilateral relations do not change brutal practices and regimes. Could Nazi Germany or the former apartheid regime of South Africa be made to change their policies and practices via talks and dialogue? An end to political links with a repressive regime can exert far more influence and pressure in defence of people's rights, particularly in Iran where there is widespread protest and opposition to this regime and a movement for its ouster. The breaking of political ties will support rights and the people in Iran rather than the regime.'
John McDonnell, the MP chairing the meeting, stated that there was much support amongst MP's against stoning and executions in Iran. He announced that he and several others will carry out a number of actions to exert pressure on the UK government in order to condemn the Islamic regime of Iran.
International
Committee against Stoning
Campaign against
Executions in Iran