Church of England leaders condemn #Iran regime's suppression, voice support for opposition

Dozens of senior religious leaders in the Church of England have expressed solidarity with the Iranian people, condemning the regime for its human-rights violations and praising the main opposition for its humanitarian platform for Iran's future.

In a public statement released in June 2020, the 38 signatories, ranging from former archbishops to lord bishops and bishops, said that they "remain deeply concerned about the human-rights situation in Iran".

The religious authorities point to Iran's ongoing religious persecution as "part of a wider domestic repression, which culminated last year in the reported killing of at least 1500 people during the nationwide popular protests for change".

"Since then, the regime has continued its arrests of dissidents, students and other human rights activists inside Iran, especially targeting the supporters of the organised Iranian Resistance movement, the NCRI and the PMOI/MEK," they added, referring to the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the Mujahedin-e Khalq.

The statement highlights the regime's disastrous coronavirus response, cover-up, and "hiding the real number of COVID-19 deaths due to the fear of public backlash and widespread protests". It refers to statistics provided by the NCRI, which has announced based on credible data compiled from sources across the nation that as of June at least 60,000 people have succumbed to the deadly virus in Iran.

In addition to urging more pressure on the regime to release political prisoners, the senior religious authorities call on the UK government to "do more at the UN and internationally" to ensure the adoption of "concrete actions that ends impunity that the perpetrators of serious human rights violations enjoy in Iran."

"We also join the Anglo‐Iranian community and the Iranian Resistance movement, the NCRI, in calling on the UN Secretary‐General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to dispatch a fact‐finding mission to Iran to visit Iranian prisons and meet with prisoners as a matter of urgency," the statement says.

The religious leaders, led by former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, express support for NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi's 10-point plan for the future of Iran. According to the 10-point plan, they said: "Any form of discrimination against the followers of any religion and denomination will be prohibited."

The statement comes a few days ahead of the biggest online gathering planned by the Iranian Resistance to be held on July 17, entitled Free Iran Global Summit: Iran Rising Up for Freedom, connecting participants from 102 countries in more than 30,000 connection points, to support regime change by the people of Iran and resistance.

Some 1,000 current, former officials, international dignitaries, and bipartisan lawmakers will warn of Iranian Regime’s growing terrorist threat, and urge the world community to adopt a resolute policy, according to the organizers.

Share this article: