Iranian demonstrations in Strasbourg

Last updated
Anti-IRGC demonstration in Strasbourg, January 2023 Anti-IRGC Demonstration in Strasbourg 2023.jpg
Anti-IRGC demonstration in Strasbourg, January 2023

The gathering of Iranians in Strasbourg, France, was held in front of the European Parliament on 16 January 2023 (26 Dey 1401) amidst the Mahsa Amini protests, with the aim of declaring the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization by the European Union. Roberta Metsola, the head of this parliament, said to the Iranians: "You stand on the right side of history and you will make history, and we will not leave you alone". [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

The purpose of the demonstration

This gathering is supposed to reflect the desire of a large number of Iranians for the IRGC to be "recognized as a terrorist" by Europe and the international community. Thousands of Iranians living in France and other European countries on Monday, January 26, traveled to Strasbourg in the northeast of France to gather in front of the headquarters of the European Parliament and demanded that the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be called terrorists. Europe was called to take other decisive steps against the violence of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the protesters in recent months in Iran. This is the second largest gathering of Iranians in the last four months in Europe after the Berlin event to express solidarity with the protesters inside the country and also to invite the European authorities to Bringing stronger decisions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Demonstrators had expressed their hope to create "another Berlin" with this event. Three months ago, about one hundred thousand Iranians from Europe and the world gathered in Berlin at the invitation of Hamed Esmailiyoun, author and spokesperson of the Association of Victims of the Downed Ukrainian Plane. The rally in Strasbourg came after more than a hundred members of the European Parliament signed a letter last week asking the European Union to take new steps against Tehran's rule, supported the complete introduction of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The gathering of Iranians was held on the eve of the parliament session, which is scheduled to discuss the situation in Iran and pass a resolution on Thursday, 29 January 1401. The European Parliament is the legislative body of the European Union consisting of 705 seats, whose members are from 27 EU member states. During the four months of Iranian people's protests, many members of this parliament took several measures to express solidarity with Iranians, including a number of women in the parliament, who cut their hair during the Iranian women's protests. A number of members of the European Parliament have also taken political guaranty for the detained protestors sentenced to death in Iran, which, although it is a symbolic act, is considered as political pressure on the Iranian government. Iranians have traveled to Strasbourg and proposed the expulsion of Iranian ambassadors from European Union countries and the return of these countries' ambassadors from Tehran. A number of representatives of the parliaments of European countries, who are of Iranian descent, supported the gathering of Iranians in Strasbourg and called on Iranians to attend this event. A day before the gathering of Iranians in Strasbourg, Prince Reza Pahlavi, Masih Ali Nejad, Ali Karimi, Golshifteh Farahani and Nazanin Fanadi in a joint tweet called on the countries of the world to call the entire IRGC a terrorist. In this joint tweet, it is stated: "For more than four decades, the IRGC has been terrorizing, suppressing and killing inside and outside Iran. The arms of the nation are open to those who have not committed a crime; If they join the people. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps</span> Military organization to protect the political system of the Islamic Republic in Iran

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also called Sepah or Pasdaran, is a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979, in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution. Whereas the Iranian Army protects the country's sovereignty in a traditional capacity, the IRGC's constitutional mandate is to ensure the integrity of the Islamic Republic. Most interpretations of this mandate assert that it entrusts the IRGC with preventing foreign interference in Iran, thwarting coups by the traditional military, and crushing "deviant movements" that harm the ideological legacy of the Islamic Revolution. Currently, the IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saleh Nikbakht</span> Iranian lawyer and academic

Saleh Nikbakht is an Iranian lawyer and academic. He is the spokesman for the Society of Political Prisoners in Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency</span> Separatist insurgency in Iran

The Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency is an ongoing low-intensity asymmetric conflict in Sistan and Baluchestan Province between Iran and several Baloch Sunni militant organizations designated as terrorist organizations by the Iranian government. It began in 2004 and is part of the wider Balochistan conflict.

The Intelligence Protection Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is an Iranian intelligence agency within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and part of Council for Intelligence Coordination.

On 18 June 2017, under Operation Laylat al-Qadr, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired six surface-to-surface mid-range ballistic missile from domestic bases targeting ISIL forces in the Syrian Deir ez-Zor Governorate in response to the terrorist attacks in Tehran earlier that month. Next day, the IRGC published aerial videos recorded by the Damascus-based IRGC drones flying over the city during the operation, confirming that the missiles had successfully hit the targets with precision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests</span> A series of strikes and protests that took place across Iran

The 2018–2019 Iranian general strikesand protests were a series of strikes and protests that took place across Iran from early 2018 until mid-2019 against the country's economic situation, as well as the Iranian government, as part of the wider Iranian Democracy Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–2020 Iranian protests</span> Iranian series of protests

The 2019–2020 Iranian protests, sometimes known as Bloody November or Bloody Aban, were a series of nationwide civil protests in Iran that took place in 2019 and 2020. Initially caused by a 50–200% increase in fuel prices, they occurred as part of the wider Iranian Democracy Movement, leading to calls for the overthrow of the government in Iran and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The protests commenced as peaceful gatherings on the evening of 15 November but spread to 21 cities within hours, as videos of the protest circulated online, eventually becoming the most violent and severe anti-government unrest since the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammad Delavari</span> Iranian writer, journalist and television presenter (born 1973)

Mohammad Delavari is an Iranian writer, journalist and television presenter. He is best known for making several television shows and controversial interviews with Iranian politicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Erbil missile attacks</span> Missile attacks on Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The 2022 Erbil missile attacks occurred on 13 March 2022 when multiple ballistic missiles were launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from East Azerbaijan province, Iran, against the city of Erbil in Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman, Life, Freedom</span> Political and social slogan

Woman, Life, Freedom is a slogan that originated within the women-led Kurdish movements. This slogan transcended its initial context and garnered global recognition following the 2022 protests in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who was in custody of Iran’s morality police for “improper” clothing. The phrase rapidly became a universal rallying cry, symbolizing resistance against oppression and the fight for women's rights.

The Zahedan massacre, also known as Bloody Friday (Balochi: زائدانءِ ھۏنݔن آدݔنَگ),⁣ was a series of violent crackdowns starting with protesters gathering and chanting in front of a police station near the Great Mosalla of Zahedan, Iran on 30 September 2022 leading to many casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamed Esmaeilion</span> Iranian-Canadian social activist, author and dentist

Hamed Esmaeilion is an Iranian-Canadian social activist, author, and dentist. Esmaeilion won Hooshang Golshiri Literary Awards for two of his books, Dr. Datis and Thyme is not Fair.

This is a broad timeline of the ongoing series of protests against the government of Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022. Amini had fallen into a coma after having been detained by the Guidance Patrol, allegedly for wearing an "improper" hijab—in violation of Iran's mandatory hijab law—while visiting Tehran from Saqqez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Khodanur Lojei</span> Baluch Iranian protester killed by security forces in 2022

Khodanur Lojei or Lajai was an Iranian protester from Zahedan, who was killed during the 2022 Zahedan massacre, one of the Mahsa Amini protests. A picture of him with his hands tied to a flagpole with a bottle of water put in front of him has become one of the symbols of the ongoing protests Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Kian Pirfalak</span> 2022 killing of child by security forces in Izeh, Iran

Kian Pirfalak was a nine-year-old Iranian boy who was killed in Izeh during the crackdown on the Mahsa Amini protests. He was shot by government security forces while sitting in his parents' vehicle during the attack on Izeh market. His father, Meysam Pirfalak, was critically injured in the assault and was hospitalized.

Hamid Ghareh-Hassanlou was arrested in nationwide protests in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini. He is a Gonabadi dervish and a medical doctor who specializes in medical imaging. He was charged with killing a Basiji member during the funerals of Hadis Najafi by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Karaj. His wife, Farzaneh Ghareh-Hassanlou was arrested the same day. They were reportedly beaten during the arrest, and Hamid's ribs were later reported broken.

Bahman Reyhani is an Iranian commander. On June 20, 2014, he was appointed as the commander of the Kermanshah Nebi Akram Corps, a Kurdish force in the IRGC located in Kermanshah province, based on the order of Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC at the time, in a ceremony attended by Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC at the time. Reyhani has played a decisive role in helping the victims of the 2018 Sarpol-e Zahab earthquake. Bahman Reyhani was included in the sanctions list of the European Union on December 21, 2022, due to gross violations of human rights in Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parisa Farshidi</span> Germany taekwondo athlete

Parisa Farshidi is a Taekwondo practitioner from Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eshragh Najafabadi</span> Iranian Mountain Biker

Eshragh Najafabadi is an Iranian athlete and a former member of Iran's national Mountain Bike team. He was arrested during the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran. He was accused of participation in the 2022 Shah Cheragh attack. He was released after three months of detention.

Vida Rabbani, also known as Vahideh Rabbani, is an Iranian women's rights activist and journalist. She was arrested by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Mahsa Amini protests.

References

  1. "رئیس پارلمان اروپا در تجمع هزاران نفری و تاریخی ایرانیان در استراسبورگ: در کنار شما ایستاده‌ایم". ار.اف.ای - RFI (in Persian). 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  2. "هزاران ایرانی در تجمع استراسبورگ خواهان تروریستی نامیدن کلیت سپاه پاسداران شدند". www.radiofarda.com. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  3. "رییس پارلمان اروپا در تجمع تاریخی ایرانیان در استراسبورگ: شما سمت درست تاریخ ایستادید". ایران اینترنشنال (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  4. "تجمع ایرانیان مقابل پارلمان اروپا در استراسبورگ فرانسه". العربیه فارسی (in Persian). 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  5. "تظاهرات ایرانیان در استراسبورگ در حضور رئیس پارلمان اروپا – DW – ۱۴۰۱/۱۰/۲۶". dw.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  6. "March Held In Strasbourg, Slogans Displayed On Eiffel Tower In Solidarity With Iranian Protesters". iranwire.com. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  7. "Iranian Rally In Strasbourg Calls On Europe To List IRGC As Terrorists". Iran International. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  8. "Thousands protest in France to demand EU blacklisting of Iran's IRGC". Al Arabiya English. 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  9. "Thousands demand EU blacklisting of Iran's Revolutionary Guards". RFI. 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  10. "Thousands march to EU parliament in Strasbourg in support of Iran protesters". uk.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  11. "Thousands Demand EU Blacklisting Of Iran's Revolutionary Guards". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  12. AP. "France: March, Eiffel Tower display back Iran's activists". SCNow. Retrieved 2023-01-20.