Wednesday, 28 September 22
Demands to the German Government on Iran Policy
Dear Members of the German Federal Government,
We welcome your comments on the death of Jîna Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman just 22 years old, at the hands of the Iranian regime's henchmen. However, violence against Iranian women has been a cornerstone of the misogynist regime for 43 years. Jîna Mahsa Amini's death therefore triggers nationwide protests against the Islamist regime.
Words are not enough in this situation, action must be taken now!
Already in 2019, the regime has killed over 1,000 people demonstrating for freedom in the streets in just three days. These days, we are again receiving reports that dozens of people have been shot by Iranian police. The regime uses weapons against its own people, has houses searched to find opposition members, tortures journalists and women's rights activists.
Even abroad, people are threatened and dissidents murdered who draw attention to the regime's crimes.
Nevertheless, the Iranian population refuses to be intimidated, demonstrations continue, Iranian women cut off their hair in protest and publicly burn the headscarf imposed on them - and are murdered for it.
In this dangerous situation, Iranians fighting for democracy and freedom demand only one thing: that this time the governments of democratic constitutional states do not keep the Iranian regime alive with their support.
The German government should act consistently to put a stop to the regime.
We call on the German government to halt all official negotiations with the Iranian regime and impose tough sanctions. All trade relations should be stopped immediately. Any deal that provides the regime with income that finances violence against its own people must be terminated.
Iranian dissidents and women's rights activists who have fled to Germany must be given protection. The Iranian regime's outposts in Germany, which include the Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg, should be closed and Iranian representatives expelled.
Only consistent action can improve the situation for Iranians. We declare our solidarity with the Iranian people who demand freedom and with all Iranians who fight for human rights for women. We call on the German government to pursue a consistent feminist foreign policy that completely isolates the regime.
We will never forget Jîna Mahsa Amini! Zan Zendegi Azadi - long live free and secular Iran!
Signatories
Mina Ahadi, Chairwoman of Zentralrat der Ex-Muslime Deutschland
Rana Ahmad, Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe Deutschland e.V.
Masih Alinejad, Journalist, Activist and Author
Dr. Lale Akgün, MdB a.D.
Güner Yasemin Balci, Author and Filmmaker
Tobias Bauschke, Member of the Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin
Ulrike Becker, Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin
Jonas Breng, Journalist
Jason Brodsky, Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
Naïla Chikhi, Founder of Initiative Migrantinnen für Säkularität und Selbstbestimmung
Mariam Claren, daughter of political prisoner Nahid Taghavi and founder of the #freenahid-Campaign
Nina Coenen, Chairwoman of Demokratielotsen e.V.
Saeid Dehghan, Human Rights Lawyer
Guila Fakhoury, Co-Founder of Amer Fakhoury Foundation
Saba Farzan, Chairwoman of Chapter FDP Gendarmenmarkt
Gilane Fataryi, News Presenter at AlArabiya TV
Shammi Haque, Journalist in Exile
Rahim Hemti, Member of SPD
David Ibsen, Executive Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
Ali Javanmardi, Independent Journalist and Political Activist
Claire Jungman, Chief of Staff at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
Valerio Krüger, Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM)
Matthias Küntzel, Political Scientist
Mohsen Lotfi, Political Activist in Germany
Shiva Mahbobi, Activist for Women’s Rights & Release of Political Prisoners
Daryoush Memar, Journalist
Mariam Memarsadeghi, Founder and Director of Cyrus Forum and Senior Fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin
Yasmine Mohammed, Free Hearts Free Minds
Philipp Möller, Zentralrat der Konfessionsfreien
Florence Montreynaud, Writer
Dr. Kazem Moussavi, Speaker of the Green Party of Iran in Germany
Kaveh Moussavi, Human Rights Lawyer, International Arbitrator
Dr. Reza Parchizadeh, Political Theorist and Security Analyst
Jason Poblete, Esq., President of Global Liberty Alliance, Alexandria, Virginia
Laura Pohl, Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM)
Hourvash Pourkian, International Women in Power
Ahmad Rafat, Journalist and Writer
Bary Rosen, Survivor of the Iran Hostage Crisis and Senior Advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)
Gunnar Schedel, MIZ. Politisches Magazin für Konfessionslose und AtheistINNEN
Rebecca Schönenbach, Chairwoman of Frauen für Freiheit e.V.
Kaveh Shahrooz, Lawyer and Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Daniela Sepehri, Activist
Azin Shahrokhi, Canadian Human Rights Activist
Adel Sharifi, Journalist and Activist
Gazelle Sharmahd, Daughter of the kidnapped Journalist Jamshid Sharmahd, #SaveSharmahd-Campaign
Neda Soltani, Right to Education and Academic Freedom
Anna Staroselski, President of Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland (JSUD)
Mehmet Tanriverdi, 2. Federal Chairman of Kurdische Gemeinde Deutschland
Nicole Thies, Projekt 48 e.V.
Ali Ertan Toprak, President of Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Immigrantenverbände in Deutschland (BAGIV)
Christoph de Vries, Member of the German Bundestag
Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform
WerteInitiative - jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V.
Markus Wollina, Member of DIE LINKE, Speaker of LAG Säkulare Linke Berlin
Maya Zehden, Vice Chairwoman of Deutsch-Israelischen Gesellschaft Berlin und Brandenburg e.V.
