In an exclusive interview with Simay Azadi, MEP Petras Auštrevičius criticized the European Union’s “too slow” response to the escalating human rights crisis in Iran, while calling for a fundamental shift in Western strategy toward supporting a total regime change. Highlighting the lack of accountability for those behind the wave of executions, Auštrevičius said, “Names might change, but the regime will not,” urging the international community to prioritize the freedom of the Iranian people over economic interests like oil and gas.
Q: Thank you very much, Mr. Auštrevičius, for this interview. First of all, tell us what the European Union and the European countries should do when it comes to Iran’s human rights situation.
Petras Auštrevičius: I’m sure we have to do much more. From time to time we express our full support for human rights and especially voicing strong concerns about the human rights violations, but we do probably too little, if anything.
Firstly, we still didn’t somehow come out with the summary of all those executions from the beginning of this year. If we just close down this page and we believe that it’s over, it’s a huge mistake. Those responsible are not called for responsibility; sanctions are not imposed on dozens, if not hundreds and thousands of the Iranian regime officials who are behind torture, killing, and the intimidation of civilians—people who are just expressing their hope for a different country and freedom. So that’s why I think we are vocal, but too slow. The European Union has a responsibility because we are a Union of Freedom. So that’s why I hope we will be back, we will correct our mistake in this regard, and I hope we will be more staunch supporters of the Iranian people in the future.
Q: And let me finish by this: right now Iran is a hot topic here in Europe and around the globe. What do you think is the solution to the current crisis in Iran?
Petras Auštrevičius: It’s a regime change. I don’t believe there will be any strategic shift in Tehran’s policy with those elite groups and families in power. They will do everything to fight till the last Iranian, so to say. They have to go away.
And it must be a very strategic line of the Western policies towards Iran. As I said, [the goal is] not to fight for oil or gas, but for the freedom of the Iranian people and for regime change. If it doesn’t happen and we are still in a kind of cosmetic change, it will be the same. Iranian people will be again prosecuted under the mullahs’ regime. Names might change, but the regime will not. That’s why I think we have to seriously reconsider our approach towards Iran.
Q: If you have any message for the Iranian people and you want to tell them directly, what would that be?
Petras Auštrevičius: It would be probably: we didn’t do what we had to do, but there are people who understand the scope and probably our responsibility towards the Iranian people. We stand with freedom. We fight with Ukrainians for their freedom, but I’m sure we have to do the same supporting the Iranian people. This day will come.
Q: Thank you very much.