Laila Jazayeri, the director of the Association of Anglo-Iranian Women, recently shared insights into the ongoing human rights abuses in Iran and the specific challenges faced by women in the country. In the wake of the UN General Assembly’s condemnation of human rights abuses in Iran, the Association organized an event in Leeds North West to express solidarity with the Iranian people and urge the UK government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
The event featured speakers such as local MP Alex Sobel, who emphasized the importance of human rights and the need to proscribe the IRGC. Attendees included both Anglo-Iranians and non-Iranians, contributing to a diverse and unified call for change.
Jazayeri shed light on the oppressive conditions faced by women in Iran, emphasizing the denial of fundamental rights. Women’s lives are heavily restricted, from requiring permission to leave the house to facing severe consequences for violating the hijab and chastity law. The penalties for such violations include imprisonment, flogging, fines, and, in dire economic circumstances, washing dead bodies in the morgue. Jazayeri also highlighted unofficial punishments like blinding and acid attacks.
The catalyst for recent protests in Iran was the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. Jazayeri explained that Mahsa’s death served as a trigger for long-suppressed feelings of anger and frustration about corruption, poverty, discrimination, and repression. The subsequent protests faced brutal suppression, with hundreds killed, including women and children deliberately targeted.
Despite the UN’s recent condemnation of Iran’s human rights practices, Jazayeri criticized Western countries for their policy of appeasement toward the Iranian regime. She called for concrete actions, including designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization, shutting down regime embassies, and activating mechanisms to impose sanctions.
Jazayeri, who works closely with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), endorsed the NCRI’s ten-point plan for a free and democratic Iran. The plan prioritizes principles such as gender equality, religious freedom, separation of religion and state, and the establishment of a pluralistic government.
In conclusion, Jazayeri expressed a fervent commitment to being a voice for the silenced and advocated for tangible actions by Western governments to support the Iranian people in their struggle against oppression. She emphasized that real change requires moving beyond mere rhetoric and actively aligning with the aspirations of the Iranian people.
