Conference with Legal Experts and Jurists: Maryam Rajavi Calls for Accountability in Iran- 24 August
On Saturday, August 24, 2024, a conference was convened to address the atrocity crimes against humanity, specifically the massacre of political prisoners and the genocide of members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in 1988, as well as the mass executions that took place in 1981 and 1982 in Iran. The discussions underscored the pressing need for accountability and the imperative to end the impunity of those who orchestrated and carried out these crimes, in accordance with international laws and treaties. Maryam Rajavi opened the conference. The following are her remarks: Today’s conference is convened to address the grave issue of the systematic violation of human rights in Iran. In the wake of World War II, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted, its language was profoundly shaped by the “spirit of humanity”—a spirit that had reached a state of rebellion against the unprecedented catastrophe. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights “heralded the advent of a world in which human beings are free in expression and belief, and free from fear and want, which is proclaimed as the highest aspiration of humanity.” Today, the words of that historic document remain unchanged, yet they have practically strayed from their original essence, as they are unaffected by the pain and suffering of the millions of people who have been tortured or executed. Today, in our country, a regime rules, whose governance is predicated upon the suppression of human rights, and whose survival is secured and guaranteed by the killing of people. Against this regime, a prolonged and arduous resistance persists aimed at restoring human rights. We proudly consider ourselves champions of freedom and human rights.