Spring of freedom

London, 25 April - The US recently placed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on its list of foreign terrorist organisations, which is a bold move that complements the Treasury Department’s previous listing of the IRGC as a banned terror group. It was the first time that an entire division of a foreign government was formally labelled as a terrorist organization. This move was made because of increased Iranian aggression and regional interference in recent months, ever since Donald Trump took office, and that is a worrying prospect from the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. The IRGC was founded in 1979 to safeguard the revolution, which basically translates to crushing any and all detractors. Now, the 125,000-strong militia holds incredible influence over the political and economic spheres, with financial interests in the telecommunications, construction, energy and auto industries. They have their own army, air force and navy, control Iran’s nuclear and inte...

The municipality of None in Piedmont Province of Italy On the initiative of an invitation from the municipality of None in Piedmont Province of Italy, and in cooperation with the city university, a conference was held in the None Town Hall in support of the Iranian uprising and the people’s Resistance movement for freedom. The gathering also condemned human rights violations carried out by the mullahs’ regime. Enzo Garrone, Mayor of None –  “As the mayor of this city it is my great honor to see a session being held in this city and its town hall in support of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom. From the news and reports that we receive one can easily understand that the Iranian people have risen to establish freedom from the ruling dictatorship, and they’re advancing down this path. “The circumstances are very sensitive and we must stand alongside the Iranian people and support their organized resistance. Our governments must know that the freedom of the Iranian peo...

At a  conference  of Iranian communities on December 15, speakers connected via a multiplex. The attendees were in more than 40 cities located throughout Europe, North America, and Australia. One of the key speakers was  Maryam Rajavi,  the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the author of a 10-point plan for the democratic future of a free Iran. She called for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) to be blacklisted as terrorist organizations. “Tehran’s recourse to terrorism is not a transient or tactical reaction, but a strategic outlet for it to confront the uprisings and its overthrow. Today, the regime uses  terrorism  to confront the Iranian people’s uprisings,” said Rajavi. Despite their efforts to distract the Iranian people, ongoing protests that began in December 2017 have shown those efforts have failed. She stressed that the inter...

The 'Ashraf 3' Conference in Albania, on 25 November 2018. [Handout photo] The EU High Representative Federica Mogherini’s response to the series of Iranian terror plots on European soil has been a total silence, writes Jaromír Štětina. Jaromír Štětina MEP, is a Czech journalist, writer and politician. He was a war correspondent for the conflict areas of the former Soviet Union. He is currently Vice-Chair of Subcommittee on Security and Defence in the European Parliament Last week, together with colleague MEP Tunne Kelam, and former MEP Struan Stevenson,  I visited “Ashraf 3”  the new site of the Iranian democratic opposition PMOI (MEK) in Albania outside Tirana. This visit was truly an inspiring journey and an eye-opener to how misinformation and fake news can deceive the general public about the reality when states like Iran use their vast financial resources to divert the truth. Nearly 3000 members of Iranian democratic opposition, many of whom have dedicated...

The 'Ashraf 3' Conference in Albania, on 25 November 2018. [Handout photo] Jaromír Štětina MEP, is a Czech journalist, writer and politician. He was a war correspondent for the conflict areas of the former Soviet Union. He is currently Vice-Chair of Subcommittee on Security and Defence in the European Parliament Last week, together with colleague MEP Tunne Kelam, and former MEP Struan Stevenson,  I visited “Ashraf 3”  the new site of the Iranian democratic opposition PMOI (MEK) in Albania outside Tirana. This visit was truly an inspiring journey and an eye-opener to how misinformation and fake news can deceive the general public about the reality when states like Iran use their vast financial resources to divert the truth. Nearly 3000 members of Iranian democratic opposition, many of whom have dedicated their entire lives to establish freedom and democracy in their country, are residing in Ashraf 3. As a war journalist covering various conflict zones in Europe a...

File photo of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The internal power struggles in Iran have not stopped since 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Shah’s regime and was monopolized by the religious establishment that controls all joints of the Iranian government. The conflict between the wings of the reformist and militant regime has reached bloody levels against the backdrop of the Green Movement of 2009, which would have almost overthrown the hardliner conservatives loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, had the bloody crackdown by reformist not been suppressed. Today and while Hassan Rouhani who is a moderate president with balanced relations with the moderate reformists on one hand and with the moderate conservatives on the other hand, who is at the helm of the executive power, at a time when the Islamic Republic is facing qualitative challenges in the face of harsh US sanctions, the hardliner conservatives left no chance but to ignore Rouhani...

By INU Staff INU- Last month, former New York Mayor  Rudy Giuliani addressed  the American Iranian Diaspora, which stands against the mullahs’ regime for the ninth time. Giuliani is a member of a large bipartisan group of former governors, mayors, military leaders, senior administration officials and members of Congress, who agree that Iran is entitled to “freedom and democracy” and should be led by those already fighting for those values, with whom the US can ally themselves. This is the wish of the Iranian people, who have been calling for regime change in nationwide protests since December 2017. The rest of the world should join Giuliani and his group in supporting The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the largest and most organised Iranian opposition group, as the regime change that the Iranian people clamour for will take requires organization, leadership, a platform, endurance, competence, and sacrifice. But why should the MEK take up this m...

Karaj – Students showing support for their teachers’ strike across Iran In a new development, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert voiced support for the Iranian teachers’ nationwide strike sweeping across the country on Sunday and Monday. In Iran, schools are open from Saturday to Thursday, and closed only on Fridays. We are following the reports of nationwide strikes in  #Iran . We support the right of the Iranian people to peacefully express their rightful demands. These strikes have a message for the regime: stop wasting Iran’s wealth abroad and start addressing the needs of your own people. — Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox)  October 15, 2018 “We are following the reports of nationwide strikes in  #Iran . We support the right of the Iranian people to peacefully express their rightful demands. These strikes have a message for the regime: stop wasting Iran’s wealth abroad and start addressing the needs of your own people.” The freedom-lov...