IRAN: Edith Bauer – Women of Ashraf Represent True Future of Women in Free Iran

A European-American Conference was convened on invitation of the Friends of Free Iran intergroup in the European Parliament on February 7, in relation to the current political situation in Iran and the region, and the necessity of protecting Ashraf residents, members of the Iranian opposition.

BAUER, member of the Parliament from Slovakia: Dear colleagues, dear Madame Rajavi, dear guests, thank you for the opportunity to add my modest remarks on behalf of European Parliaments, (or the) group with Women for Free Iran and send a message to those who are suffering in Camp Ashraf. There is no doubt that the regime in Tehran is a gross violator of human rights. It is based on an extreme fundamentalist version of Islam, repressing women. It makes threats to its neighbors and prevents peace and stability in the whole Middle East region, as it was told, and it is clearly moving toward the production of nuclear weapons. That is justified question, what are we doing about this? That is a justified question, if we will pass the test to protect more weak than we are.

After the more than three decades we are still hesitating, (as was) told then maybe we are thinking more to cut off all negotiation and start the new phase with is (distinct) for its recognition of the Iranian resistance movement at Ashraf at its focal point. People in Iran expect us to understand their suffering and agony and give them the help we can. Probably we did not understand the uprising in 2009. But now it cannot be delayed for much longer because it's question of life and death, as it was told.

There are thousands brave women living in Ashraf who have been standing up for the cruel dictatorship of Iran over the past three decades. Many of them, who spent years in Iran's notorious prisons for defending human rights, could be examples for all of us. Women of Ashraf who have had many crucial responsibilities in this resistance truly represent the future of women in free Iran. To speak frankly, we are very concerned of the lack of freedom of movement in Camp Liberty. It seems to be more like a prison, as it was thought, and I agree. It needs a big piece of political cynicism to call a prison Camp Liberty. As we did many times, we calling on Baroness Ashton to intervene to change the current condition at Camp Liberty so that safety and security of the women are guaranteed and we hope the same will do our colleagues in the U.S. Congress. Otherwise, any transfer in current conditions is very risky and the blame would also lie on EU and U.S. on all of us. In this battle, we shouldn't fail. Thank you.