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Switzerland postpones EU talks until after October federal elections

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Germany raises concerns over Hungary's suitability for EU's rotating presidency in 2024

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Who will succeed Stoltenberg as NATO secretary-general?

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Latest News

Switzerland postpones EU talks until after October federal elections

Switzerland postpones EU talks until after October federal elections Switzerland postpones EU talks until after October federal elections
  Planned talks between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) to rebuild their relationship have been postponed until the end of October,...
Read More...

Examining the differences between the Nexus and IHRA definitions of antisemitism

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  Antisemitism continues to be a pressing issue worldwide, prompting organizations to develop definitions to address and combat this form...
Read More...

Germany raises concerns over Hungary's suitability for EU's rotating presidency in 2024

Germany raises concerns over Hungary's suitability for EU's rotating presidency in 2024 Germany raises concerns over Hungary's suitability for EU's rotating presidency in 2024
  Germany has expressed doubts about Hungary's ability to effectively lead the EU's policy-making process during its upcoming presidency,...
Read More...

Greece's ruling conservatives poised for significant victory in early election results

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Crowds celebrate with flag-waving outside the headquarters of Greece's right-wing New Democracy party in central Athens on May 21, 2023, following...
Read More...

Who will succeed Stoltenberg as NATO secretary-general?

Who will succeed Stoltenberg as NATO secretary-general? Who will succeed Stoltenberg as NATO secretary-general?
As Jens Stoltenberg's tenure as NATO Secretary-General approaches its end, discussions and conjecture are mounting regarding his potential...
Read More...

European Commissioner: Putin's energy blackmail of Europe has failed

European Commissioner: Putin's energy blackmail of Europe has failed European Commissioner: Putin's energy blackmail of Europe has failed
  Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempt to blackmail Europe through energy resources has been unsuccessful, according to Kadri Simson,...
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Denmark unveils new foreign policy strategy with a focus on security and alliances

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  Denmark has revealed its latest foreign policy strategy, influenced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the shifting global geopolitical...
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Council of Europe leaders convene in Reykjavik for first summit in 18 years

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Switzerland remains committed to combating chemical weapons

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Switzerland has vowed to continue its efforts to eliminate chemical weapons despite challenges posed by certain countries undermining the work...
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Germany pushes for caution on EU's proposed sanctions against China for Russia's invasion of Ukraine

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Over the past few weeks, Iranian activists and opponents of the ruling theocracy have been holding demonstrations in various European capitals, including Paris and Brussels.

The protests are aimed at amplifying the message of a nationwide uprising that began in Iran in September and continues to this day, despite heavy crackdowns that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters and the imprisonment of thousands more.

The activists are calling for a democratic alternative and urging European policymakers to abandon their long-held tendency toward appeasement of the Iranian regime and to adopt a much more robust policy. Specifically, they are calling on the EU to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, a measure that has been recommended on numerous occasions by Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi.

By contrast, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah of Iran, has openly tried to reach out to some factions within the IRGC, which is widely recognized as being primarily responsible for the crackdowns on protesters. Pahlavi, whose father was deposed in the 1979 revolution, has been trying to make himself visible in discussions about recent and ongoing protests against the country’s theocratic dictatorship. At the recent Munich Security Conference, he was one of three so-called opposition activists to appear in lieu of official representatives of the Iranian regime, whose invitations were withheld as a consequence of its crackdowns on dissent and its support of Russia in its unprovoked war upon Ukraine.

However, Pahlavi's outreach to some factions within the IRGC has met with considerable backlash from various Iranian expatriates, particularly those who are current members of pro-democracy activist groups. Many such activists have taken part in large-scale rallies across Europe in recent weeks, including one in Paris that was scheduled to mark the February 11 anniversary of the Pahlavi dynasty’s overthrow. The Iranian expatriate community generally maintains a favorable outlook on this aspect of the 1979 revolution while also condemning the theocratic dictatorship that took the monarchy’s place.

The sentiment of the Iranian expatriate community was well-reflected in the Paris rally, and it has been equally well-reflected in the slogans of the uprising taking place inside the Islamic Republic. Among them are “death to the dictator” and “death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader.” These slogans also underscore the fact that the uprising has transcended its initial focus on the death in custody of Mahsa Amini last September. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was arrested and fatally beaten by “morality police” for wearing her mandatory head covering too loosely. But this spark quickly gave rise to a movement that has been widely described as perhaps the greatest challenge to the theocratic system since the time of the 1979 revolution.

Former Member of the European Parliament Struan Stevenson, who is also the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change, concluded in his recent book “Dictatorship and Revolution: Iran – A Contemporary History” that both the monarchy and the theocratic dictatorship “deny universal human rights, consider the people to be immature and in need of guardians, and derive their legitimacy from sources other than the ballot box and democratic rule of law. Both have committed gross violations of human rights such as arbitrary detentions, summary trials, cruel and inhuman punishment, torture, and political executions. Both have effectively instituted one-party rule, denied pluralism, suppressed many segments of society, denied freedom of speech or association, prohibited a free press, and disenfranchised citizens.”

In conclusion, the Iranian activists and opponents of the ruling theocracy are urging European policymakers to abandon their long-held tendency toward appeasement of the Iranian regime and to adopt a much more robust policy. They are specifically calling on the EU to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Photo by Milad Avazbeigi, Wikimedia commons.

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