NEWS CENTRE - Speakers at the Iran conference at the European Parliament described the repression faced by various communities, and called for a decentralized Iran in which the rights of all peoples are recognized as part of a democratic future.

 

A conference titled “We wave a Democratic Iran” is being held at the European Parliament in Brussels. The conference is organized by the Iran Democratic Platform in cooperation with various political groups in the European Parliament.

 

The opening speeches of the conference were delivered by members of the Socialist and Democrats Group, the Left Group, and the Greens Group, all of which are represented in the European Parliament. During the first panel titled “The Role of Nations and Communities in the Constuction of a Democratic Iran,” representatives of different peoples spoke about the repression imposed by the monist and centralist regime that has existed for the past century, while calling for a democratic Iran in which all components are officially recognized.

 

The panel featured PJAK Presidential Council Member Siamand Moini, Ahvaz Democratic Solidarity Party Secretary General Mona Silawi, Baluchistan People’s Party Central Committee Member Fariba Borhanzehi, and Turkmen Sahra political representative and lawyer Jouma Bouresh as speakers. Following Moini’s speech, in which he called for “democratic self-governance” for Iran, Fariba Borhanzehi spoke about the freedom struggle of the people of Balochistan and emphasized that the Baluch people have been part of Iran’s history throughout its entirety.

 

Drawing attention to the repression and discrimination they have faced, Fariba Borhanzehi said, “The Baloch people have been deprived of all forms of progress.” She stressed that the Baloch should also have the right to representation in the country and criticized the Iranian regime for approaching the issue solely from a security perspective. “For all peoples to live in peace and security in the future Iran, their rights must be recognized,” she said.

 

Jouma Bouresh, political representative and lawyer from Turkmen Sahra, emphasized that democracy must be for all peoples and everyone, stating, “The central government must be reduced and become decentralized.” Stressing that all components should benefit from the country’s resources, Bouresh said that the regime of one flag, one language, and one nation must come to an end. “For a democratic country, the rights of all peoples must be recognized. Iran was once a confederation,” Bouresh said, drawing attention to the severe crises caused by monist mentality over the last century.

 

Mona Silawi, Secretary General of the Ahvaz Democratic Solidarity Party, spoke about the repression imposed by the regime in Iran and emphasized the need for a country based on democracy and the recognition of the rights of all peoples.

 

The second panel was held under the title “National, Social, and Political Participation in Iran’s Future.” Faramaz Bakhtiar, Secretary of the Bakhtiari Unity Party; Odeh Afravi, Director of Public Relations of the Ahvaz Arab Struggle Movement; and Raha Sabet Sarvestani, researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Turku in Finland, delivered presentations during the panel.

 

Faramaz Bakhtiar stated, “For a hundred years, we have had a democracy problem. Democracy has become the primary goal for the peoples of Iran. Across the Middle East, there is a struggle for democracy.”

 

Noting that Iran has a centralized authoritarian government, Bakhtiar said that while the people of Lorestan had exercised authority for centuries, the centralist structure of the last hundred years has become the problem. He explained that Lorestan has been deprived of all opportunities and subjected to severe repression. “We need democracy,” Bakhtiar said, adding that the current regime is one that should be condemned by all components of Iranian society. He stressed the need for stronger support for a democratic Iran.

 

The third speaker, Odeh Afravi, stated that the voice of the Ahvaz people has gone unheard for a century and that being able to speak here was important for them. He expressed support for a democratic Iran and stressed that different peoples must be officially recognized within the country. “As the people of Ahvaz, we have our own identity, and it must be officially recognized. This is a prerequisite for democracy,” he said.

 

Afravi noted that the Ahvaz region is extremely rich in natural resources, yet its people have been deprived of benefiting from them. “The central government deprives us of these resources and impoverishes us,” he said. Stating that all peoples must be represented in the future Iran, Afravi argued that democratic governance can only be achieved through the participation of all components at every stage. He summarized his demand as “a secular, decentralized, and democratic Iran.”

 

The final speaker of the second panel, Raha Sabet Sarvestani, said: “As discussions about Iran’s future continue, attention is often focused on political transition, diplomacy and negotiations, sanctions, and questions of leadership. These are undoubtedly important. However, democratic societies are not built solely through political arrangements. Democratic societies are built by citizens who possess the capacity, knowledge, confidence, and opportunities to participate in public life.” Raha Sabet Sarvestani emphasized that democracy is only possible through the constituent participation of peoples.