24th November 2022 - Cross-party MPs and Peers held a meeting to discuss discussed possible steps by the UK to support the popular uprising led by women in Iran.
They welcomed UK’s recent sanctions and diplomatic protests in response to the violent repression in Iran and commended the UK Government’s commitment to hold to account the regime in Tehran for its deadly crackdown on protests.
The conference held on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women highlighted the violent suppression of women’s rights and state violence against women displayed by the tragic death of Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of “morality police”, which sparked the ongoing uprising against the regime.
It coincided with the special session of the UN Human Rights Council that passed a resolution calling for an independent international fact-finding investigation of the regime’s crimes against protesters. The cross-party speakers stressed that the UK Government should proscribe the IRGC in its entirety.
They declared the strong, cross-party support in both Houses of the UK Parliament for the brave women of Iran who are leading the anti-regime protests and the resistance units to realise the Iranian people’s democratic aspirations. They said the culture of impunity is emboldening the Iranian authorities to continue to oppress the people and women in Iran, which has led to the killing of over 600 protesters, including 60 children, and the arrest of more than 30,000.
Speakers present at the conference included:: Bob Blackman MP; Jim Shannon MP; Anna
Firth MP; Rachael Maskell MP; Right Hon Theresa Villiers MP; Lord Bellingham; Lord Alton of
Liverpool; Lord Turnberg; Lord Polak CBE; Baroness Eaton DBE DL; Baroness Meacher; Lord
Singh of Wimbledon CBE; Dr Tahar Boumedra, legal expert and former chief of UN’s Human
Rights Office in Iraq; and Anthea McIntyre CBE, Conservative member of the European
Parliament for West Midlands.
