The statement of the “Freedom and Justice Rally”
To the people of free world
For nearly a hundred years, the chauvinist and fascist governments ruled Iran and they have pursued the policy of colonization and exploitation of non-Persian nations. In this period civilization, historical assets, economy, natural wealth, political rights, and in a sense, the existence of the oppressed nations in Iran have been looted, and any movement among these nations to seek their rights got suppressed.
The Pahlavi regime imposed the heaviest pressures on the oppressed nations in Iran, especially Azerbaijanis and other Turkic communities of Iran. The Turkish nation of Azerbaijan played a prominent role in overthrowing the Pahlavi regime with the hope of achieving freedom and justice. However, nothing was changed about the undemocratic and centralized model of governance of Iran, and the fundamental Islamism was added to the far-right Persian nationalism.
In 1979, the nation of Azerbaijan opposed religious and racist Islamic republic, and demanded the implementation of the progressive law of state and self-rule for provinces but the regime’s answer was nothing except bullets and repression.
Now, the regime is in the brink of bankruptcy and its struggling with all kinds of crises. The people of different regions of Iran have been protesting in streets against the regime for months, and Azerbaijani Turks and other Turkic communities in Iran were essential part of these protests against the regime. The Turkic nation of Azerbaijan has sacrificed hundreds of its children to fight against this criminal regime.
All oppressed nations in Iran are determined to regain their rights within the framework of universal laws and rights and they pay a dearly cost in this path. The fact that the world admires Iranian people’s resistance including Azerbaijani nation gives hope to those young girls and boys on the streets who they fight for their freedom and national rights.
However, even in this revolution, discrimination and the denial about the suffering of Azerbaijani Turks in Iran is obvious. Opposition Persian medias, which were funded by Western nations abroad to cover Iran, does not cover our news and it only focuses on Persian speaking region of Iran(center of Iran). They boycott and censored the struggles of the oppressed nations, especially the Azerbaijani nation. In recent months, the only official internationally stood for people of south Azerbaijan and tried to be the voice of the oppression of the people of South Azerbaijanis was President Ilham Aliyev. We appreciate him and we ask him to continue reflecting the voice of the oppressed South Azerbaijanis and defend our rights in international forums.
Today, we have gathered here to be the voice of the youth, who got shot for seeking their rights at the cost of their lives in the streets of Azerbaijan with the slogan “Freedom, Justice, national government for Azerbaijanis” (Azadliq, Adalat, Milli Hokumat). Today, all oppressed nations in Iran have some common goals and demands, and Azerbaijani’s goals and demands mentioned in this statement:
We request all the countries of the world reject the legitimacy of Islamic Republic of Iran and cut off their political and economic relations with it.
We condemn the efforts of Iranian regime to acquire atomic weapons and weapons of mass destruction. We consider this not only a threat to the democratic world and neighbouring countries but even a potential threat to the survival of the nations like us living in Iran. Therefore, we appeal to the free world not to appease with this regime and take a serious preventive actions.
Islamic Republic of Iran has imprisoned thousands of innocent people because of civil protests. We request the international organizations like UN to put pressure on this regime for their release.
The Islamic Republic of Iran continuously exports terrorism to its neighbouring countries, or kidnappes citizens of other inside Iran. They recently attacked to the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran. We request international community to take desisive action about this issue and put the main military and economic arm of the regime, the IRGC, on the terrorist list. We believe IRGC is the main responsible for exporting terrorism to the Middle East and even to the world.
We condemn the war-mongering policy and threats of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Republic of Azerbaijan, and we stand by the Republic of Azerbaijan with all our strength.
We condemn the policy of synchronizing and accompanying the Islamic Republic of Iran with Moscow’s warmongers against Ukraine. We condemn Iran’s military assistance to Russia and support the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The Islamic Republic deliberately targets women and girls by its most brutal actions. We ask the free world not to be indifferent to this medieval monstrosity of the Islamic Republic of Iran in targeting young girls and children. We ask the Free world to raise their voice in protest of Young girls in Iran.
We ask international community and academia to recognize the fact that Iran is a multi-national state and to consider this issue in their decision makings and dealings with Iranian citizens.
We express our despise about Islamic Republic’s continuation. We believe this constitution opened the way for colonialism within Iran and aimed to assimilate non-Persian nations, especially the Azerbaijani Turks in Iran. We demand equal rights and to end to the looting of our natural resources.
Oppressed and colonized nations in Iran are demanding to be recognized within the framework of international laws and rights. The slogan “Freedom, Justice, National Government(For Azerbaijanis)” is the slogan that is heard the most in South Azerbaijan and actually sums up our demands. We ask the free world to support the people of South Azerbaijan to have a democratic and national rights and help us escape from colonial policies.
The Islamic Republic is destroying nature and the environment. This regime has brought nature and the environment to the brink of the destruction throughout Iran. The deliberate drying of Lake Urmia has become a full-scale environmental disaster in South Azerbaijan, which has threatened the lives of tens of millions of people and animals. We ask the international organizations and governments to pressure on the regime and get permission to revive and the nature around Lake Urmia before it is too late.
Freedom, Justice, National government
Long live freedom and justice
Freedom and Justice Rally
Brussels March 25, 2023
