The 7th Congress of the Party the EUROPEAN LEFT was held in Vienna from December 9th to 11th. The Congress passed the following resolution, with 95.9 percent of votes, in solidarity with the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran.
This Congress notes:
a. AIMS OF MVMT
For more than 3 months, Iran has been engulfed in a truly nation-wide, mass uprising in the name of “Woman, Life, Freedom.” This uprising is for life, for democracy, for human rights, for gender equality and for equality of each individual Iranian, regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation. Escalating repression has served only to embolden and massively strengthen the determination of this movement.
b. WOMEN’S ROLE
This movement erupted following the death of a young Kurdish woman at the hands of Iran’s notorious Morality Police, Iranian women have been at the forefront of this movement, and are proving to be Iran’s unifying agents of social and political change. Their unswerving determination to force change has enormous implications and sets a precedent world-wide.
c. NATIONWIDE, YOUTH ROLE, NON-VIOLENT
Iranian youths in every corner of the country, and in every urban centre, have joined them, taking to the streets and continuously developing new, ingenious non-violent ways to confront the regime.
d. MASS-BASED, NOT FOREIGN INSTIGATED
This struggle is a direct result of the despotic regime’s own policies, which have resulted in deeply rooted hatred for the Islamic Republic. It is NOT foreign- instigated or led. While forces hostile to Iranian self-determination will try to take advantage of it, this uprising is defiantly non-violent and determined to remain united in the demand for democracy and an end to despotic imposition of religious diktat.
e. BRUTAL RESPONSE
The authorities have responded with extreme brutality, shooting or beating to death hundreds of demonstrators. More than 18,000+ demonstrators have been arrested, some of them as “enemies of God and corruption on earth”. Widespread, persistent reports have emerged of prisoners being subjected to horrific torture and rape. Summary trials have begun, with demonstrators already being condemned to execution. The first of these has already been carried out.
f. ATTEMPTS TO DIVIDE MOVEMENT FAILING
The Islamic Republic is trying every trick in the book to divide the movement along ethnic and religious lines and turn it into a civil war. Military units have been brought into major ethnic minority dominated areas such as Baluchistan and Kurdistan. To this end, they’ve repeatedly bombarded bordering areas of Iraqi Kurdistan and have acted savagely in Iranian Kurdish towns and cities. The response has been continuous, unswervingly and distinctly peaceful demonstrations against repression and for a democratic Iran. This movement encompasses and represents Iranians of all ethnic backgrounds and faith affiliations, all keenly intent upon creating a united country in which all minorities can live in peace and democracy together.
g. CONTINUITY No matter how many people are arrested, mass demonstrations and resistance grows. General strikes are happening in many of the most important urban centres, while everyone from Central Bank employees to truck drivers are disrupting daily life in support of the movement.
RESOLUTION & DEMANDS
This Congress:
1. Demands the immediate halt to executions, and freedom for all those arrested as part of this movement in addition to all other political prisoners.
2. Expresses its wholehearted solidarity with the courageous and determined Iranian mass movement united under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” and urges all Left parties in the world to do the same.
3. Condemns the crimes outlined above.
4. Demands that foreign support for this movement respects the right to self-determination of the Iranian people.
5. We call all the left and democratic forces to solidarity with this movement.
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