By Kayhan Life Staff: A number of international political, legal and media personalities have appealed to the German government to take concrete actions to put an end to the regime in Iran.
The letter is written to Olaf Sholz, German Chancellor, Annalena Baerbock, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, and Nancy Fraeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community.
Below, is the English translation of the letter.
Dear Members of the German Federal Government,
We welcome your comments on the death of Zhina Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman just 22 years old, at the hands of the Iranian regime’s henchmen. However, violence against Iranian women has been a cornerstone of the misogynist regime for 43 years. Zhina Mahsa Amini’s death therefore triggers nationwide protests against the Islamist regime.
Words are not enough in this situation, action must be taken now!
Already in 2019, the regime has killed over 1,000 people demonstrating for freedom in the streets in just three days. These days, we are again receiving reports that dozens of people have been shot by Iranian police. The regime uses weapons against its own people, has houses searched to find opposition members, tortures journalists and women’s rights activists.
Even abroad, people are threatened and dissidents murdered who draw attention to the regime’s crimes.
Nevertheless, the Iranian population refuses to be intimidated, demonstrations continue, Iranian women cut off their hair in protest and publicly burn the headscarf imposed on them – and are murdered for it.
In this dangerous situation, Iranians fighting for democracy and freedom demand only one thing: that this time the governments of democratic constitutional states do not keep the Iranian regime alive with their support.
The German government should act consistently to put a stop to the regime.
We call on the German government to halt all official negotiations with the Iranian regime and impose tough sanctions. All trade relations should be stopped immediately. Any deal that provides the regime with income that finances violence against its own people must be terminated.
Iranian dissidents and women’s rights activists who have fled to Germany must be given protection. The Iranian regime’s outposts in Germany, which include the Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg, should be closed and Iranian representatives expelled.
Only consistent action can improve the situation for Iranians. We declare our solidarity with the Iranian people who demand freedom and with all Iranians who fight for human rights for women. We call on the German government to pursue a consistent feminist foreign policy that completely isolates the regime.
We will never forget Zhina Mahsa Amini! Zan Zendegi Azadi – long live free and secular Iran!
Signatories
- Mina Ahadi, Chairwoman of Zentralrat der Ex-Muslime Deutschland
- Rana Ahmad, Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe Deutschland e.V.
- Masih Alinejad, Journalist, Activist and Author
- Dr. Lale Akgün, MdB a.D.
- Güner Yasemin Balci, Author and Filmmaker
- Tobias Bauschke, Member of the Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin
- Ulrike Becker, Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin
- Jonas Breng, Journalist
- Jason Brodsky, Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
- Naïla Chikhi, Founder of Initiative Migrantinnen für Säkularität und Selbstbestimmung
- Nina Coenen, Chairwoman of Demokratielotsen e.V.
- Saeid Dehghan, Human Rights Lawyer
- Guila Fakhoury, Co-Founder of Amer Fakhoury Foundation
- Saba Farzan, Chairwoman of Chapter FDP Gendarmenmarkt
- Gilane Fataryi, News Presenter at AlArabiya TV
- Shammi Haque, Journalist in Exile
- Rahim Hemti, Member of SPD
- David Ibsen, Executive Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
- Ali Javanmardi, Independent Journalist and Political Activist
- Claire Jungman, Chief of Staff at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
- Matthias Küntzel, Political Scientist
- Mohsen Lotfi, Political Activist in Germany
- Shiva Mahbobi, Activist for Women’s Rights & Release of Political Prisoners
- Daryoush Memar, Journalist
- Mariam Memarsadeghi, Founder and Director of Cyrus Forum and Senior Fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute
- Yasmine Mohammed, Free Hearts Free Minds
- Philipp Möller, Zentralrat der Konfessionsfreien
- Florence Montreynaud, Writer
- Dr. Kazem Moussavi, Speaker of the Green Party of Iran in Germany
- Kaveh Moussavi, Human Rights Lawyer, International Arbitrator
- Dr. Reza Parchizadeh, Political Theorist and Security Analyst
- Jason Poblete, Esq., President of Global Liberty Alliance, Alexandria, Virginia
- Laura Pohl, Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM)
- Hourvash Pourkian, International Women in Power
- Ahmad Rafat, Journalist and Writer
- Bary Rosen, Survivor of the Iran Hostage Crisis and Senior Advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
- Gunnar Schedel, MIZ. Politisches Magazin für Konfessionslose und AtheistINNEN
- Rebecca Schönenbach, Chairwoman of Frauen für Freiheit e.V.
- Kaveh Shahrooz, Lawyer and Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute
- Daniela Sepehri, Activist
- Azin Shahrokhi, Canadian Human Rights Activist
- Adel Sharifi, Journalist and Activist
- Gazelle Sharmahd, Daughter of the kidnapped Journalist Jamshid Sharmahd, #SaveSharmahd-Campaign
- Neda Soltani, Right to Education and Academic Freedom
- Anna Staroselski, President of Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland (JSUD)
- Mehmet Tanriverdi, 2. Federal Chairman of Kurdische Gemeinde Deutschland
- Nicole Thies, Projekt 48 e.V.
- Ali Ertan Toprak, President of Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Immigrantenverbände in Deutschland (BAGIV)
- Christoph de Vries, Member of the German Bundestag
- Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform
- WerteInitiative – jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V.
- Markus Wollina, Member of DIE LINKE, Speaker of LAG Säkulare Linke Berlin
Germany Steps up Pressure for EU to Impose Sanctions on Iran
