Trudeau Says The Regime In Iran ‘Does Not Represent’ The People
In a rally in Toronto to mark the third anniversary of an airliner disaster, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lambasted the Islamic Republic, saying it disregards human life.
In a rally in Toronto to mark the third anniversary of an airliner disaster, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lambasted the Islamic Republic, saying it disregards human life.
People around the world held gatherings Sunday to pay respects to the victims of a Ukrainian airliner shot down by Iran’s military as it took off from Tehran on January 8, 2020..
Iranian diaspora communities held rallies outside the Islamic Republic’s embassies and in many cities, chanting slogans against human rights violations by the clerical regime in Iran.
Following the downing of flight PS 752 on January 8, 2020, the Islamic Republic tried to deny the incident for a few days before it was forced to admit that an air defense unit had fired two missiles at the airliner over Tehran.
The rallies were also held to express solidarity with those in Iran who have been protesting and holding strikes for over 110 days since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed in hijab police custody, an event that triggered the unprecedented unrest.
The gatherings started early Sunday in in Australia and New Zealand, continued in several cities in Asia and Europe and finally in many cities in Canada and the United States. Speeches and artistic performances took place at some of the events.
Rallies in Canada and the United States were among the biggest gatherings. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly participated in the event in Toronto and delivered speeches in honor of the victims and against the Islamic Republic’s human rights violations.
"The Flight PS752 tragedy happened because of the Iranian regime's heinous disregard for human life... The Islamic Republic does not represent people of Iran who deserve so much better," Trudeau said. He noted that "finding justice" is a crucial part of mourning, adding that "Your grief has been compounded by their refusal to be held accountable."
He said Canada has "permanently and forever" banned leaders from Iran from taking safe haven in the country. "We will continue to stand and look for even more to do to ensure that this brutal, murderous regime is held fully to account."
He also touched upon the ongoing antigovernment protests in Iran, saying, “The killing of Mahsa Amini shocked not only those in Iran but also the entire world.” He added that Canada stands by and supports the women of Iran, before concluding his speech by chanting the Iranian uprising's moto "Women, Life, Liberty" in Persian.
"The Islamic Republic is not representative and is not indicative of the extraordinary, wonderful, warm, beautiful people of Iran who deserve so much better," said Trudeau.
Vowing to keep up the efforts until the Islamic Republic is held accountable for the tragic incident, Joly said, "We will get the best lawyers to make sure that the Iranian regime will be held accountable at the international court of justice."
Hamed Esmaeilion, the Canada-based activist whose daughter and wife were killed in the incident and serves as the spokesman for the families of Iranian victims of the flight PS752, also delivered a speech during the event. He called on the Ottawa government to expel Farhad Parvaresh, the Islamic Republic's envoy to ICAO -- the UN's specialized agency for civil aviation headquartered in Montreal.
He also renewed calls on the Canadian government to list the entirety of the Islamic Republic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and identify and remove from Canada the "oligarchs and operatives" of the Islamic Republic. "The world must understand that they have no place in the international community and most importantly they do not represent the great people of Iran," he said.
"We have no other option. From Day 1 we've been focused on finding the truth and seeking justice, and we're not going to give up,” Esmaeilion said.
In Iran, the families of victims of the airliner gathered Sunday at the site of the crash, in Shahriar, southwest of the capital Tehran, while others protested at cemeteries in other cities including Saqqez in Kordestan Province, the Kurdish city of Mahahbad in West Azarbaijan province, and Bandar Anzali in the north to mark the anniversary of the tragedy.
The airliner was shot down by two air-defense missiles fired by the IRGC as it took off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. Hours earlier, the IRGC had fired more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US troops in retaliation for the killing of the IRGC Quds Force Commander Ghasem Soleimani who was targeted by a US drone strike just five days earlier. All 176 passengers and crew, including 63 Canadians and 10 from Sweden, as well as 82 Iranian citizens on the plane died in the disaster.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington condemns the Islamic Republic’s “sham trials and execution of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini in the strongest terms,” noting that “These executions are a key component of the regime's effort to suppress protests.”
Price also added that “We continue to work with partners to pursue accountability for Iran’s brutal crackdown.” His remarks echoed a similar one by US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley who said, “Appalled by the regime’s execution of two more young Iranians after sham trials. These executions must stop. We and others across the globe will continue to hold Iran’s leadership accountable.”
Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) also condemned the Iranian regime’s brutal and unlawful execution of two innocent young men, saying it “should be a final straw for anyone who still thinks this regime is redeemable. The regime in Iran terrorizes its own people and the world. It should continue to face economic and diplomatic pressure.”
Member of the Belgian Parliament Darya Safai attended a protest rally outside the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Brussels in which she described the regime as the “occupiers of Iran.” She also tweeted about a mourning ceremony by friends of one of the hanged protesters, saying the regime would not let people say goodbye to the bodies of their loved ones. “As inhumane they killed him, they also buried him in an inhumane manner in complete silence,” she said.
Denouncing the execution of protesters in Iran, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs told Iran International in a statement that Canberra calls on the Islamic Republic to immediately halt all executions and will continue to work through the multilateral system and with partners to hold Iran to account. Australia opposes death penalty... for all people."
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna described the executions as “appalling,” adding that France recalls its opposition to the death penalty, in all places and in all circumstances. French Senators have also tabled a resolution calling on the EU for ending nuclear negotiations with Iran, designating the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, as well as several other measures.
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs also condemned the execution and emphasized its opposition to the death penalty everywhere and under any circumstances.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly also denounced the executions, saying that “two more lives lost to senseless executions from the Iranian regime.” Calling on the regime to put an end to such brutal and inhumane sentences, she expressed solidarity with Iranians who have a right to their human rights.
Golriz Ghahraman, a member of New Zealand’s parliament with Iranian roots, said, “A generation of Iranians is being murdered to protect the power of a self-declared Grand Ayatollah and the stolen wealth of his cronies.”
She addressed Western leaders, saying, “This is a moment in history, Iranians will win, but right now you are not on the side of freedom.”
The European Union in a statement Saturday condemned the execution of Karami and Hosseini and called the executions “yet another sign of the Iranian authorities’ violent repression of civilian demonstrations” and urged Iranian government to “strictly abide by their obligations enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” to which Iran is a party.
Two other protestors named Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard were executed in Tehran and Mashhad in December.
Following mass arrests of protestors in the last four months and hasty death sentences issued for 11 people in sham trials, human rights activists and some foreign officials have been calling for weeks to hold the Islamic Republic accountable.
Sociologists have also tried to assess the impact of the “Woman, Life Freedom” movement on the Iranian society and government. Some have described it as a women’s movement, a cultural revolution and a struggle against religious fundamentalism.
Others have said that understanding young Iranians is the key to making sense of the ongoing movement. This is a generation that wishes to be independent, individualistic, Internet savvy, and familiar with life on social media. This is in sharp contrast with the previous generation of Iranians.
Meanwhile it is significant that this movement enjoys unprecedented support from the international community and the Iranian diaspora.
According to Iranian sociologist Azam Khatam, her colleagues agree with her that there is a shift in Iran from demands for reform to a call for structural transformation. This is particularly where the Iranian government faces the annoying challenge of the current movement. However, the desire for a full transition among the activists and protesters is not in par with their capability to mobilize all those they want to bring to the streets.
Khatam introduced a few characteristics of the movement to highlight its points of weakness and strength and show the contrasts between dreams and realities. These characteristics include the movement’s all-encompassing nature and the importance of the number of those who take part in it.
There is also the role of women’s hijab, where a cultural revolution meets a political revolution. There is the absence of mediation mechanisms between the protesters and the government such as political parties and free press, which the Islamic Republic has long destroyed.
Khatam also observed that the presence of various ethnic groups and the practice of civil disobedience has made a return to the pre-September 2022 situation impossible. What happened during the past four months changed political behavior in the streets. At the same time, protests opened a window to the depths of the Iranian society and showed everyone how courageous and unified it is despite its inherent diversity.
Khatam noted that although the number of protesters is a significant factor, yet it cannot determine the fate of the uprising. She estimated that protests have a diverse power base and have brought at least two million Iranians to the streets in over 135 cities.
Nonetheless, as a result of the protests, the patriarchal structure of the Iranian society has become fragile in parts of the country where it is part of core values. She observed that during the first two months of the protests nine provincial capitals, Tehran, Esfahan, Mashad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Karaj, Sanandaj, Rasht and Kermanshah were the epicenters of unrest.
During the protests, streets have become the main venue for political activity where government's rules can be broken. That explains the radical slogans that were not so direct and sharp even in the 2017 and 2019 unrest. Meanwhile, the protesters have learned that they should keep clinging onto minimal achievement such as removing headscarves to make sure that putting any step back can discourage others. In fact, despite bragging by hardliners, the government no longer tries to enforce hijab in the streets although clerics insist that it should be observed in government offices.
The most important prospect of the movement on which many scholars agree is that the society cannot be taken back to pre-September situation. The protests have effectively prevented the regime from ending its international isolation and boosting oil revenues as the West cannot negotiate with Tehran while the protesters are in the streets. This gives some hope to dissidents, who do not want to see the regime prolonging its existence.