Congratulating Shirin Ebadi while condemning the tyranny of the Islamic Republic

Today, Iranians from varied political persuasions united under the national banner, have gathered here to congratulate Shirin Ebadi for winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Ahmad Ali Samii

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Congratulating Shirin Ebadi while condemning the tyranny of the Islamic Republic

OSLO, NORWAY - 10 December 2003

Today, Iranians from varied political persuasions united under the national banner, have gathered here to congratulate Shirin Ebadi for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. In defending the right of Iranians to the freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and standing up to the repressive policies of a regime that promotes a culture of terror of thought and religion, Shirin Ebadi has rightfully earned the appreciation of the Iranian people.

The Nobel Peace Prize committee, in recognition of the efforts of Mrs. Ebadi, and in compliance with the provisions stipulated for the award of the Peace Prize in the will of Alfred Nobel, honoured her by awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to her.

The dawn of the Islamic Republic heralded the twilight of civil society in Iran. Music was banned, wearing a tie became a crime, women lost most of their rights, culture took a back seat to medieval tyranny. The repression of the Iranian nation was spearheaded under the command of the then Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mohammad Khatami. Today, the same Mohammad Khatami, as the current President of the Islamic Republic takes to the bully pulpit and claims to be the champion of moderation and reform.

Throughout all of this period, Mrs. Ebadi stood firm in her convictions, stood shoulder to shoulder with the repressed and the downtrodden, and maintained the upper ground. It is this quality that has been recognised by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Today, we stand witness to the destructive forces unleashed when the Islamic Republic was declared.

We, the Iranian people, remain deeply concerned that students, writers, and journalists are still languishing in jails, their basic human rights ignored and trampled upon. They are denied access to legal representation and medical attention, they denied contact with family and relatives.

Accordingly we strongly urge the European Union to demand that the Islamic Republic immediately:

• Abide by its obligations, freely undertaken, under International Covenants on Human Rights, including those relating to freedom of opinion and expression, the commitment not to use torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and the promotion and protection of rights of women and girls; and,

• Release all writers, editors, publishers, students and others detained or imprisoned for their peaceful exercise of freedom of expression; and,

• Halt the use of torture against prisoners; and,

• Honour the basic right of any prisoner to have immediate and regular access to legal counsel and family and medical visits; and,

• Eliminate all forms of discrimination based on religious grounds, including Baha'is, Christians, Jews and Sunnis, or against persons belonging to minorities; and,

• Recognize the inalienable right of the Iranian people to freely choose their political future through an internationally observed referendum to determine the political course of Iran; and.

• Implement separation of religion and the State, thus recognising the equality of all Iranians, regardless of their faith or religious persuasion.

Governments and business sectors alike bear a special responsibility to invest in the people of Iran, and not the brutal religious dictatorship ruling it.  Ultimately investments in people far outlast investments in regimes, especially those in direct conflict with their own people.

It is unacceptable for any member of the civilized world to engage in trade at the expense of human rights. We respectfully and publicly call on all government to resolutely and faithfully consider these recommendations.

For further information, contact the National Referendum For Iran

info@nrfi.org

The National Referendum For Iran aims to be the central resource for all discussions and debates about the path towards a fair, free, and internationally monitored referendum to determine the future of Iran.

Iran is at a critical stage right now, and it is of paramount importance that Iranians from all walks of life and political persuasions unite to achieve true self-determination for our people. To that end, The National Referendum For Iran hopes to provide a venue which will encourage and enhance the goal of reaching an equitable referendum within Iran.

© 2003, National Referendum For Iran - http://nrfi.org/

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