Together with 83 MPs from the EP and national parliaments, I call on the EU and the Member States to boycott Iran’s celebration of the Islamic revolution.

“We, cross-party Members of the European Parliament and Members of national parliaments, are urging the governments of the EU member states and the EEAS to boycott tomorrow’s ceremony in Tehran for the anniversary of the Islamic revolution that brought this brutal regime to power. Likewise, EU officials ought to stay away from any such regime celebrations in Iranian embassies abroad.

Over the past 44 years, the Islamic Republic has murdered tens of thousands of Iranians and has spread terror, misery and war throughout the region and beyond. Together with the Assad regime and Russia, the regime in Iran has carried out horrific war crimes in a conflict that has killed over 500,000 Syrians. Tehran is now intensifying its growing alliance with Russia by supplying Moscow with Kamikaze drones designed to terrorize the Ukrainian people and to destroy their critical infrastructure.

Over the past few months alone, the regime has killed over 500 Iranian protestors and arrested some 20,000 people for the “crime” of demanding freedom, democracy and dignity and above all equal rights for women. Women and even young girls are being harassed, arrested, tortured, raped and murdered for simply refusing to wear the hijab or just for not fully covering their hair. At least 100 Iranians are facing the death penalty over their participation in protests following sham trials where the accused had just 15 minutes to defend themselves.

It would be an inexcusable violation of our own values and a betrayal of the Iranian people as well as the regime’s countless victims in the region and in Ukraine, if European politicians and Ambassadors, or even low-ranking diplomats, “celebrated” the rise to power of this odious regime. Any official European participation in these celebrations would play into the hands of the Islamic Republic. The mullahs would like nothing more than to demonstrate that despite their repression of the protests, it is “back to business as usual” with the EU.

There can only be one unified message from all EU capitals: We don’t shake hands with butchers. We stand with the Iranian people. We stand with Ukraine.”

Download the entire letter here.