British MPs Visit Ashraf 3 and Show Support for Iran's Democratic Alternative

On Thursday, 23 February 2023, two Members of Parliament from the United Kingdom, David Jones and Bob Blackman, visited Ashraf 3 in Albania.

The MPs held talks with the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, regarding the transfer of sovereignty to the people of Iran.

Mr. Jones and Mr. Blackman also addressed a gathering of thousands of senior officials and members of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

During the visit, the MPs presented Mrs. Rajavi with a statement signed by 250 members of both Houses of the British Parliament from all parties in support of the Iranian people's nationwide uprising, the Iranian Resistance, and Mrs. Rajavi's Ten-point Plan for the future of Iran.

In presenting the signatures in two separate books, they said: "It is time to recognize the right of the Iranian people to defend themselves and overthrow this regime and to establish a democratic, secular republic."

The 250 members from both Houses of the British Parliament recognized the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as the democratic alternative to the clerical regime and deserving of full support.

The statement also called for the United Nations Security Council to hold accountable those responsible for committing crimes against the Iranian people, especially the regime's Supreme Leader Khamenei and the current President, Ebrahim Raisi, and bring them to justice.

Mr. Jones and Mr. Blackman reminded that the people of Iran have been severely suppressed under the regimes of the Shah and the mullahs and have explicitly rejected any type of dictatorship. This is echoed in the slogan of "Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)" by protesters in all Iranian cities.

They emphasized that it is absurd to think that the people of Iran, who longed for freedom above all else, would return to a past where they were oppressed and denied their fundamental freedoms.

The 250 signatories of this statement called on the United Nations, its member states, and other international organizations to strongly condemn the killing of demonstrators in Iran and take urgent measures to stop this repression. 

They also called for the dossier of the regime's crimes to be referred to the United Nations Security Council, and those responsible for committing such crimes to be brought to justice, particularly the regime's Supreme Leader Khamenei and current President, Ebrahim Raisi.

The people of Iran have a democratic alternative whose goals are enshrined in the Ten-point Plan articulated by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and this alternative deserves all-embracing support.

Finally, the statement called for any dialogue or dealings with the Iranian regime or the continuation of relationships with it to be predicated on the release of all those arrested during the recent uprising.

The visit of the two British MPs to Ashraf 3 highlights the international support for the Iranian people's struggle for democracy and freedom, as well as the recognition of the NCRI as a legitimate democratic alternative to the current regime in Iran.

- Jalal Arani is a UK-based Iran Analyst and Policy Advisor with extensive experience in Iranian politics and the Middle East. He offers insightful analysis of the complex issues facing Iran today and is well-connected to the Iranian diaspora in the UK and Europe.