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Sunday, 06/09/2024 Lawdan Bazargan Iran’s censure at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting this week underscored the ongoing tensions surrounding the country’s nuclear program. The IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution urging Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency and reverse actions that have hindered inspectors, despite concerns that Tehran might respond with further atomic escalation. This resolution, drafted by the European troika, Britain, France and Germany known as E3, and reluctantly supported by the US, passed with 20 votes in favor, two against (Russia and China), and 12 abstentions. In his remarks in May, IAEA head Rafael Grossi had raised alarms over Iran’s threats to develop nuclear weapons while expressing hope for serious dialogue. This juxtaposition highlights a critical issue: Iran has a history of using negotiations as a strategic tool to advance its nuclear capabilities, extract concessions, and avoid punitive measures, all while continuing its covert operations and support for militant groups. Over the past 30 years, Iran’s negotiation strategy has been marked by deception and delay. Every diplomatic engagement with the West has been leveraged to buy time, stop damning UN resolutions for human rights violations, enhance its nuclear technology, and gain economic and political concessions without genuinely abandoning its nuclear ambitions. In the early 2000s, revelations about undeclared nuclear facilities in Natanz and Arak triggered international concern and led to negotiations. However, Iran’s responses were characterized by stalling tactics. While Tehran engaged in talks (in 2000s and 2010s) and agreed to suspend uranium enrichment temporarily, it simultaneously continued covert activities and expanded its nuclear infrastructure. These negotiations provided Iran with the breathing room needed to develop its capabilities further while presenting a facade of cooperation. Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator, provides an illustrative example of this tactic in a 2005 interview with Iran’s National TV. Mousavian explained that in 2003, Iran faced a 50-day ultimatum to suspend its enrichment activities. Instead of complying, Iran entered into negotiations with the IAEA and Europe, which extended the deadline and bought Iran two years to complete its projects in Esfahan and Natanz. During this period, Iran advanced its nuclear capabilities, gained permission to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), and secured international guarantees for its security, national sovereignty, non-intervention in its internal affairs, and protection against invasion. (Minute 15:37 to End) Another example of this strategy has been particularly evident in the context of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and other diplomatic efforts. The JCPOA, signed in 2015, was hailed as a landmark achievement aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program. However, even during these negotiations, Iran’s intentions were suspect. The deal provided Iran with significant economic relief and lifting of sanctions, yet evidence suggests that Iran continued to advance its nuclear research and missile programs clandestinely. In 2018, stolen Iranian nuclear documents seized by Israeli intelligence demonstrated that Iran’s nuclear program was more extensive than previously known, with plans to build up to five nuclear weapons. These revelations highlighted Iran’s strategy of deception and its efforts to advance its nuclear capabilities under the guise of peaceful purposes. These documents prove that even before President Trump exited the JCPOA, Iran was dishonest about its nuclear activities. Also, it continued developing its nuclear capabilities, building missiles, and arming militant groups in the Middle East, some listed by other countries as terrorist organizations. The repercussions of these activities were starkly evident in the October 7 attack on Israel, the Houthi disruptions of vessels in the Red Sea, and the Hezbollah attacks on Israel from Lebanon. The international community’s response has been mixed, with European countries often seeking to salvage the deal through concessions, inadvertently reinforcing Iran’s strategy of using negotiations to gain time and advantages. Notably, Iran’s nuclear negotiators, such as Mousavian and Javad Zarif, were trained by Ali Akbar Velayati, who has regularly expressed a deep-seated animosity toward the West and its liberal values and has been one of the main figures in Iran’s foreign policy for the past four decades. Many of these negotiators lived and studied in the West, gaining a profound understanding of Western political dynamics and strategies. Iran’s negotiators are well-versed in the concept of carrot and stick, frequently employing it against Western countries: threatening to enrich uranium and develop nuclear weapons while simultaneously calling for negotiations, seeking sanctions relief, and demanding a more significant influence in the Middle East. This approach leverages both intimidation and diplomacy to advance Iran’s geopolitical goals, increasing its bargaining power. This malevolence is evident in the recommendations of Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, who advocated for Iran to abandon efforts to revive the JCPOA. He suggested that Iran should begin enriching uranium to 90 percent purity and then engage in direct negotiations with the United States to obtain necessary concessions. Mousavian echoed this sentiment, stating that when the pressure is too high and the consequences too severe, Iran should move directly toward developing a nuclear bomb. They hold a powerful card, knowing that Europeans are opposed to war between the US and Iran and that the US is unlikely to launch a costly attack on Iran. Thus, Iran uses its proxies to create mayhem in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, and Lebanon, supplies missiles and drones to Russia for use against Ukraine, plans terror attacks against Iranians in the diaspora, and simultaneously demands negotiations. A critical understanding of Iran’s foreign policy reveals that, regardless of who holds the positions of president, foreign minister, or negotiator, the ultimate authority lies with the Supreme Leader, as outlined in the IRI constitution. This concentration of power means that meaningful concessions are only made under significant external pressure when the regime finds itself with no viable alternatives. This dynamic underscores the international community’s need to maintain a firm stance, applying consistent pressure to elicit genuine cooperation from the Supreme Leader, since all past negotiations only succeeded when the pressure was too high and the Supreme Leader feared losing power. Iran’s negotiation history clearly shows a strategy not driven by a genuine desire for peace or cooperation.Continue reading “Signals from Tehran: A Pattern of Talks, Deception and Delay”

به دنبال افشاگری نگران کننده سمافور در مورد روابط دانشگاه پرینستون با رژیم اسلامی ایران، اتحاد علیه مهره های رژیم اسلامی ایران (AAIRIA) خواستار تحقیقات فوری کنگره امریکا در مورد عملیات نفوذ مداوم رژیم ایران در خاک ایالات متحده است. علاوه بر این، AAIRIA از دانشگاه پرینستون می‌خواهد که روابط خود را با سید حسین موسویان، که به‌عنوان عامل رژیم اسلامی ایران شناخته می‌شود، قطع کند. دانشگاه های آمریکا باید به عنوان مراکز تحقیقی و آموزشی عمل کنند، نه کانال هایی برای تبلیغات خصمانه خارجی. گزارش های گسترده ای در مورد جزئیات دخالت سفارت جمهوری اسلامی ایران در آلمان و دخالت موسویان در فعالیت های تروریستی رژیم ایران در خاک اروپا وجود دارد. همچنین حمایت موسویان از فتوا علیه سلمان رشدی نویسنده کتاب “آیات شیطانی”، نقش وی در گسترش تاسیسات هسته ای ایران و فریب مذاکره کنندگان غربی و آژانس بین المللی انرژی اتمی و ادعاهای نادرست وی در مورد یک فتوای هسته ای خیالی، همگی مستلزم بررسی و موشکافی دقیق است. جمهوری اسلامی ایران رژیمی است که با حمایت از تروریسم و ترویج اسلام شیعه به عنوان یکی از اجزای سیاست خارجی‌اش صلح جهانی و ارزش‌های دموکراتیک را با چالش‌های مهمی مواجه می‌کند. ایالات متحده، ایران را در لیست کشورهای حامی تروریسم قرار داده است و نگرانی ها در مورد اقدامات و نیات رژیم اسلامی ایران گسترده است. تلاش‌های جمهوری اسلامی ایران برای گسترش نفوذ خود در غرب، دموکراسی‌های لیبرال را تضعیف کرده و ثبات منطقه را تهدید می‌کند. ایالات متحده و سایر کشورهای دموکراتیک باید در دفاع از ارزش‌های خود محکم بایستند و اطمینان حاصل کنند که تدابیری برای حفاظت از امنیت و منافع آنها در برابر تهدیدات احتمالی جنبش‌های بنیادگرای اسلامی مورد حمایت جمهوری اسلامی ایران وجود دارد. این موضع برای امنیت ملی و برای حفظ اصول آزادی و دموکراسی در سطح جهانی ضروری است. اتحاد علیه مهره های رژیم اسلامی ایران از کمیته “تعلیم و تربیت و نیروی کار” مجلس نمایندگان آمریکا می خواهد که از رئیس دانشگاه پرینستون، کریستوفر ایسگروبر، بخواهد در مقابل کنگره شهادت دهد. AAIRIA از دانشگاه می‌خواهد که تمام مکاتبات و قراردادهای مربوط به استخدام موسویان را منتشر کند، کمک‌های مالی به برنامه او را افشا کند و جزئیات تمام هزینه‌های سفرهای او به ایران را که از زمان انتصاب او، توسط دانشگاه و یا کسانی که به دانشگاه کمک مالی می کنند، پرداخت شده، منتشر کند. حضور مستمر سید حسین موسویان در پرینستون غیرقابل دفاع است و با معیارهای عدالت و مسئولیت پذیری که پرینستون ادعا می کند به آن اعتقاد دارد، در تضاد است. در دوره‌ای که دانشگاه‌ها، از جمله پرینستون، شاهد افزایش نفوذ اسلام‌گرایان رادیکال و حمایت از سازمان‌های تروریستی خارجی تحت تحریم ایالات متحده هستند، اتخاذ اقدام سریع و قاطع ضروری است. باید اقدامات فوری و قاطع برای تضمین یکپارچگی علمی و جلوگیری از نفوذ ایدئولوژی های رادیکال اسلامی در مؤسسات آموزشی ما صورت گیرد.. اتحاد علیه مهره های رژیم اسلامی ایران بدنبال دفاع از امنیت و صداقت علمی در محیط‌ های دانشگاهی است و تلاش می‌کند که مراکز علمی به جای تبدیل شدن به فضایی برای ایدئولوژی های مخرب و نفوذ نیروهای خارجی، سنگرهای یادگیری و کشف حقیقت باقی بمانند.

Thank you All, and especially thank you, AAIRIA, for organizing this event.  We have gathered here today once more to extend the voice of the people of Iran and stop IRGC from spreading the propaganda of its death machine in the West.  The ayatollahs of the Islamic regime vowed to “export their revolution” since 1979. One of the most effective ways to achieve this was to target the young minds in the West. That is why, in recent years, here in the United States as well as Europe, we have seen the presence of the Islamic regime and its proxies in Academia as well as at the policy-making level, whether it is through organizations such as NIAC or infiltrating influential academic roles such as the one help by Hossein Mousavian.  Mousavian is a professor here at Princeton, one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and a Middle Eastern security and nuclear policy specialist. We all know his role as the Iranian ambassador in Germany in the 90 when the atrocious Mykonos terrorist attack happened, resulting in the death of several people.  It was during the same time that Fereydoun Farrokhzad was murdered in his apartment in Germany following his involvement in producing an opposition radio program and, reportedly, receiving death threats. A murder that had hallmarks of the Iranian government’s operations all over it. Farrokhzad was not only a great Iranian Artist and activist, but as recent evidence has made it clear, he was also a member of the LGBTQ community.  As a Shia theocracy, the Islamic Republic waged war on all minorities, especially those who challenged its gender and sexual apartheid: Iranian women and queer community.  Queer community of Iran is one of the biggest victims of the Islamic regime in Iran. I urge you to look up the second chapter of the Islamic penal code of Iran, Especially codes 234 and 239, where you see same-sex relations in the Islamic Republic will result in inhumane punishments such as lashes and execution. The Islamic Republic is one of the few countries that still carries out executions under this law! This is why from the beginning of the Woman Life Freedom movement Iranian queer community, alongside all groups of Iranians, has demanded our rights to LIFE and FREEDOM. This is why we are appalled that a person like Hossein Mousavian holds such a position in an Ivy League teaching the next educated generation of Americans about the Middle East while sewing the seeds of Islamic Republic propaganda despite the school’s knowledge of his past. It is appalling that a person who loudly and proudly praised Qasem Soleimani, one of IRGC’s major commanders, was responsible for more murders, injuries, and kidnappings of Americans and American allies. Suppose today we see young Americans raising flags of Hizbollah and chanting in favor of the Islamic regime on Ivy League campuses. In that case, it is because of IRGC’s and its proxies infiltration into our Academic system. IRGC is no longer a threat to the People of Iran alone but a global threat.  Mr Eisgruber, this is not the first time you have been made aware of Mr Mousavian’s dark past and his ties to the Islamic Republic. In January 2022, UANI detailed Mousavina’s background in a letter to Princeton University.  Once again, we want to urge Princeton University and Mr. Eisgruber to terminate Mousavian immediately. Omid Iravanipour April 26, 2024

Dear friends, Ladies and gentlemen, Why are we gathered here today, and what do we want? Before I attempt to answer this question, let me briefly mention a few “things” so that it is better understood what we, the Justice Seekers, want: 1- Hojjat al-Islam Sadeq Khalkhali, the president of the Revolutionary Courts, known as the hanging judge, said the following regarding the methods of revolutionary Muslim struggle against dissidents: “One day, I was returning from the Imam Khomeini’s place… We came to the alley of Aman, and I saw two 15- and 16-year-old children secretly exchanging something. I took a Mojahedin newspaper from the boy’s bag, shot him right there, and told my companions that this is how these animals should be dealt with…” (Heftenameh Safar, 2008). This method and character of arbitrariness in killing dissidents have always dominated Iran during the entire period of 45 years of religious rule. 2- Shahriar Shafiq, the first victim of the Islamic Republic’s assassinations abroad, was an officer in the Iranian Navy. He was killed by two bullets in Paris on December 7, 1979. Khalkhali wrote in his memoirs, published in the ‘Islam’ newspaper that Shafiq had been found a ‘corrupter on earth’ and was sentenced to death by the verdict of the Islamic Revolution Court in absentia. 3- Ali Akbar Tabatabai was murdered on July 22, 1980, in Washington, USA. The killer, Davood Salahuddin/David Belfield, now lives in Tehran and is an advisor to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He says: “9 days after Tabatabai’s assassination, I entered Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, and a group of IRGC members welcomed me. They then took me out through the diplomatic hall, put me in a Cadillac, and drove me straight to a meeting with the then-foreign minister, Sadegh Qutbzadeh… It was 3 a.m., and we talked for a while. Then, the IRGC took me to a safe house, gave me a gun, and I was under their constant protection for nine months. Everyone was talking about my revolutionary action. At the end of 1980, I was taken to meet Ayatollah Khomeini at his home in Qom. In this 35-minute meeting, Khomeini told me: ‘The subject of that gentleman in Bethesda’ (Bethesda, Tabatabai’s residence) was for the pride of Islam and Muslims.” 4- On August 6, 1991, Shapour Bakhtiar and his secretary,, Soroush Katibah were murdered in Bakhtiar’s house. After the discovery of the crime, the French Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest and prosecution warrants for nine people, who were then sentenced in court: • Fereydoun Boyerahmadi, agent of the Ministry of Information and Security • Mohammad Azadi, a high-ranking officer of the intelligence unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps • Ali Vakili Rad, agent of the Ministry of Information and Security • Masoud Adeeb Sui, charged with preparing a passport and planning terror • Hossein Sheikh Attar for participating in murder preparations. For ten years, he was the director of the satellites department in the Ministry of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones • Masoud Hendi was charged with preparing visas for murderers and participating in terror preparations. From 1980 to 1984, he was the director of the JAM TV office in Paris. • Zain al-Abidin Sarhadhi, charged with procurement • Nasser Ghaseminejad, charged with procurement • Gholam Hossein Shourideh Shirazi was charged with procurement. 5- On July 13, 1989, Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou and two of his associates were killed during negotiations with agents of the Islamic regime of Iran. Two people were immediately arrested: Mohammad Jafari Sahraroudi and Haj Ghafoor Darjezi, alias Amir Mansour. After the assassination, Mr. Akbar Shirazi, the then ambassador of J.A., began working for their release and threatened the Austrian government. Subsequently, the murderers were released and sent to Tehran, and then an international arrest warrant was issued for them. Upon returning to Iran, Sahraroudi became the head of ceremonies of the Islamic Council, and Haj Ghafoor Darjezi, under the alias Mustafa Modbar, became the head of the Broadcasting Protection Organization of the IRI and manager of Saipa Club. 6- Mykonos Restaurant Assassination in Berlin: Four people were killed. Five people were arrested, and five others escaped. Arrested: • Kazem Darabi, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Information and Security, stated that after returning to Iran, he was offered governorships and ministries but declined and went to Lebanon. • Abbas Rayel and Youssef Amin, members of the Lebanese Hezbollah, were trained for terrorist attacks in Iran for six months in 1984/85. • And two others, one a member of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the other from the Shia Amal organization. • Some people managed to escape, including Abdul Rahman Bani Hashemi, who was the murderer of the Talebi pilot in Switzerland in 1990. After returning to Iran, he received a Mercedes Benz as a reward and shares in the profits of companies covered by Vawak. • An arrest warrant was issued for Ali Fallahian in the Berlin court. 7- Regarding serial murders inside Iran, including the brutal murders of Parvaneh and Dariush Forouhar, as well as Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad-Ja’far Pouyandeh: One of the people responsible for these killings, Mehrdad Alikhani, states in his interrogation sheets the names and personal and organizational characteristics, along with nicknames, of all those who participated in the murders, all of whom are employees of the Ministry of Information and Security of IRI. Alikhani says: “Mr. Dari Najafabadi, head of the Ministry of Information and Security of IRI, told me that the security department was not functioning properly… Insiders and non-insiders had turned against the regime… It was agreed that a group of secular individuals would be assassinated within the country. We were under the direct supervision of Mr. Dari Najafabadi, and based on the framework he set, a group of secular political activists were publicly assassinated, and we were to report to him at the end of each operation. During these murders, about 30 people were briefed on these assassinations, 26 of whom were ministers, and 4Continue reading “The Speech of Parviz Dastmalchi”

I feel very grateful for this initiative, and especially for this invitation to be part, to offer my testimony and remind those who listen to us today that behind the reports, the judicial cases, politics, local and international interests, there are people. People like my aunt, Graciela Levinson, and my uncle, Jaime Plaksin, were murdered in the two terrorist attacks that Argentina suffered. There were 29 victims in the first attack in the Israeli Embassy, and 85 in the second, in AMIA. My aunt, Graciela Levinson, was smiling, sociable, and talkative. She was a dedicated mother and wife, a hard-working woman. A mother who dedicated enormous efforts to find a correct diagnosis for one of her daughters, and once she achieved it, and found a treatment, she set out to help other families in similar situation, to build a community. She was the axis that united the family, she organized spontaneous family gatherings, with whatever she found at hand. For me, my aunt Graciela is synonymous of a childhood with music from her guitar, costumes that she organized, games that she invented for all my cousins and great crossword puzzles that she shared only with me, as well as a passion for all word games. On March 17, 1992, Graciela was on the way out of work, at the Israeli Embassy. The explosion hit her completely and it took many days until her body could be rescued from under the rubble. I was pregnant, and expecting my second child. There was a month left until the birth, but that same day the process accelerated and became complicated and the following week doctors had to do a cesarean section. Two years later, on July 18, 1994, the second blow came and my family fell apart once again. This time it was my uncle Jaime, who was also at his workplace, at the headquarters of the Jewish community of Buenos Aires, AMIA, on a Monday morning. Jaime had been director of the AMIA Culture Department for decades. Jaime was a true teacher, in every sense of the word. He taught Jewish history, Kabbalah, Hebrew and had an immense ability to transmit, along with a tireless love for teaching. After his murder we learned of many people he had helped, in silence, without taking any credit. He was a man whose lectures and writings were followed by many people. But I remember him as the guy with the craziest ideas. Funny, unpredictable, the one with the shrill and contagious laughter, that had invented a special greeting for me, just as he invented affectionate nicknames, words and fantastic stories. On July 18, 1994, I was in my third pregnancy and was expecting my daughter. Since I was nearby, I arrived at the AMIA headquarters just a few minutes after the explosion. I walked along Pasteur Street where at that moment there was only a large gap in the ground, in the place were the AMIA building used to be. I remember the glass that fell from the buildings and the smell, that horrendous smell of burnt flesh that remained impregnated in my memory. I remember looking for my uncle Jaime among the living people, who were looking for other people. Suddenly I saw my two cousins get into an ambulance and leave and I looked for a phone. Someone offered me a cell phone and in that call they confirmed that Jaime had died. From that moment on, I no longer remember anything. Black. Some hours were erased from my memory with those strange ways that the human mind finds to react to too much pain. When you experience this firsthand, you also understand what these cruelties do to a family. And, as an example, I always mention what happened with my father, who was the one who remained strong after the attacks. 15 years after the attacks, when my father was sick and dying in a hospital in Israel, he suffered panic attacks every time a nurse raised the railing of his hospital bed and screamed desperately how was he going to get out from under the rubble. When the bomb will explode… And so it happens with each of the families of the victims, with all of us, who today look towards the sinister minds that planned all this cruelty. And we need to find the answers, we need justice, we demand justice. Because from that moment on, the shared happiness died with them, and the shared dreams, vanished into explosives and horror. And they deserve justice, because wherever they are in the universe, or from inside us, only after justice is done our dead loved ones will be able to rest in peace.

The Islamic Regime of Iran sees terror as a legitimate tool for both internal and foreign purposes. Iran regime will continue to use measures like terrorism, espionage, assassination, hostage taking to safeguard its survival and to bring forth its objectives and ideology. Tehran terrorism targets not only Iranian activists and critical voices around the world but also American and Western individuals & installations. The rate of killing reduces when Iran regime is confronted by a tough policy and increases when the international community has a more accommodating approach. On September 17th 1992, Dr Sadegh Sharafkandi and his delegation were assassinated in a restaurant known as Mykonos in Berlin. He was in Berlin to attend the Congress of Socialist International which was held there during 14 to 17 of September 1992. On April 10th 1997, a verdict came from Berlin’s High Criminal Court with regard to Mykonos Case in which the Supreme Leader of Iran was announced as the direct commander who ordered the assassination, Iran president at the time, minister of foreign affair och minister of intelligence as the administrative agencies assigned to carry out the assassination in Berlin. During the Court which took almost 4 years, there was a witness known as witness C “Abolghasem Mesbahi” who revealed the structure and the process of any assassination carried out abroad and outside Iran. He was a member of intelligence service in Iran prior to leaving Iran. Under oath he mentioned that Iran embassy in Germany in Bonn was the main headquarter to organize and realize many of those assassinations carried out in Western Europe during the period when Hossein Mosawiyan was the ambassador of Iran in Germany. It seems very naive to believe that the ambassador was completely out of the picture when Iran regime assign the minister of foreign affair and when the Iran Embassy is the headquarter where so many gatherings and planning and accommodating the terror group is happening. It happened in the same building where Hossein Mosaviyan was the head of that office. The case known as Mykonos case is one the most significant Judiciary cases when the Judiciary system does not obey the Political system and keeps its independence under the comprehensive pressure coming from the German Politicians and authorities as well as the threats coming from Iran regime. The independence of Geman judiciary system could save the lives of so many under period 1997 to 2015 when Iran regime committed to avoid terror in Europe soil after the Berlin Verdict. Now it is time for Prinston University as a prestigious and well known and high status university in the Academic World, to defend its fame and its name; to take distance from those who have been involved in Iran regime plans for terrorism. Sadegh Sharafkandi was born 11th of January 1938 in Taragha and raised in Mahabad. He received scholarship from Sorbonne University in Paris and received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 1976 and returned to Iran to work for its own people. He was a devoted lecturer and his students never forget him. In Paris got Sadegh familiar with Dr Ghassemou and got involved in Politics. After Iran revolution and when Khomeini announced Jihad Fatwa against Kurdistan, Sadegh had to leave Tehran since Islamic regime intended to arrest him. He was pursuing democracy and freedom of choice for his nation. He became Secreterary General of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan when Dr. Ghassemlou was assassinated in Vienna by the Iranian agents at the negotiation table. The party members who worked with him says he was down to earth, great leader, very responsible, kind, loyal, trustworthy and known for his thinking out of the box. When my father lost his brother, I saw my father’s tears for the first time and I never forget him saying that I know that Sadegh innocent blood reveal its killers. Sadegh is now buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris just 150 meters away from his idol Dr Ghassemlou. He devoted his life pursuing and struggling for freedom, democracy and pluralism. He never could see his children growing up.

I am the wife of Fatah Abduli, a member of the Central Committee and Head of Foreign Affairs of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). On September 17, 1992, he, along with Dr. Sadegh Sharafkandi, Secretary-General of the Democratic Party; Mr. Homayoun Ardalan, Head of the German Committee of the Democratic Party; and Nuri Dehkardi, a Kurdish friend, were assassinated by terrorists from the Islamic Republic of Iran, joining the ranks of martyrs. The leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) were in Berlin from September 13 to 16 to attend the International Congress of the Social Democratic Party. After the conference, on September 17, Fatah met with several Iranian opposition figures at the Mykonos restaurant, owned by an Iranian named Aziz Ghafari, to discuss Iran’s future. It was almost noon, and my little boy and I were in our apartment in Paris when the phone rang. The voice on the other end said, ‘A disaster has happened; they were all murdered.’ Thus, the tragedy began for me and my four-year-old son. That night, to put my son to sleep, I told him how his father would bring him a red car as a gift when he returned. My son had cherished these little gifts in his pristine childhood world and told me how he would leap into his father’s arms upon his return, urgently asking for his car. In his sweet childhood memories, his father and I traveled in that car, taking him to his favorite places and enjoying life as a happy family. However, his desire to spend time with his father was forever shattered after terrorists from the Islamic Republic of Iran assassinated his father. Nearly 31 years after the incident, I still don’t remember the rest of that phone conversation. All I know is that all my memories of my comrade, friend, boyfriend, fiancé, husband, and the father of my child passed like a shocking drama filled with unanswered questions. The biggest dilemma was telling my son that his dream of spending time with his father had, unfortunately, become an unreachable dream. Nearly a year after the tragedy, on October 28, 1993, the Mykonos court held its first hearing. On April 10, 1997, after three and a half years of investigation and 250 sessions, the court confirmed that the terrorist team was linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran. One of them, Kazem Darabi, was responsible for the assassination of Dr. Sadegh Sharafkandi, the Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and his comrades. The court also identified the Iranian Supreme Leader, president, intelligence minister, and foreign minister as the masterminds behind the assassination and issued an international arrest warrant for Ali Falahian, the intelligence minister. According to the Mykonos court documents, Kazem Darabi, a member of the Union of Muslim Students in Europe—an organization affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards—was appointed by the Intelligence Minister Falahian to orchestrate the assassination. The Kurds of Iran, led by the Democratic Party since the 1979 revolution, had become a formidable political force opposed to the ruling Iranian regime. As a result, the Islamic Republic of Iran decided to physically eliminate the party’s leaders to quash the resistance entirely. The assassination of Dr. Qassemlo and his comrades on July 13, 1989, in Vienna, Austria, is directly linked to the Berlin assassination that the Mykonos Court adjudicated. The documents and reports from the Mykonos court reveal that the Iranian Embassy in Germany directly orchestrated the assassination of Kurdish leaders abroad with assistance from Iranian diplomats and terrorists like Sayed Hossein Mousavian. Mousavian, now a professor at Princeton University, must be held accountable for his role in these atrocious crimes. The perpetrators must face trial to ensure justice prevails and the rights of the victims’ families are upheld. سخنرانی همسر فتاح عبدولی من همسر فتاح عبدولی از اعضای کمیته مرکزی و مسئول امور خارجی حزب دمکرات کردستان هستم. وی در ۲۶ شهریور ۱۳۷۱ به همراه دکتر صادق شرفکندی دبیرکل حزب دمکرات، آقای همایون اردلان رئیس کمیته آلمان حزب دمکرات و آقای نوری دهکردی از دوستان کرد به دست تروریست های  جمهوری اسلامی ایران ترور شده و به خیل شهدا پیوست. رهبران حزب دمکرات کردستان (KDP) برای شرکت در کنگره بین المللی حزب سوسیال دموکرات که از ۲۲ تا ۲۵ شهریور برگزار شد، در برلین بودند. پس از کنفرانس در ۲۶ شهریور، فتاح با چند تن از اپوزیسیون ایران در رستوران میکونوس متعلق به یک ایرانی به نام عزیز غفاری ملاقات کرد تا در مورد آینده ایران گفتگو کند. نزدیک ظهر بود و من و پسر کوچکم در آپارتمان خود در پاریس بودیم وقتی تلفن زنگ خورد و صدای آن طرف گفت: «خانه ما ویران شد. همه آنها شهید شدند.» مصیبت برای من و پسر چهارساله ام آغاز شد. آن شب برای خواباندن پسرم به او گفتم که پدرش وقتی برمی گردد یک ماشین قرمز برایش هدیه می آورد. پسرم از این هدایای کوچک در دنیای بی‌نظیر کودکی‌اش لذت می برد و به من گفت که وقتی پدرش برمی‌گردد چگونه در آغوشش خواهد پرید و فوراً از او می‌خواهد ماشینش را به او بدهد. در خاطرات شیرین کودکی او، من و پدرش با آن ماشین رفت و آمد می کردیم و او را به مکان هایی که دوست داشت می بردیم و از زیبایی های زندگی به عنوان یک خانواده شاد لذت می بردیم. پس از ترور پدرش توسط تروریست های جمهوری اسلامی ایران، آرزوی او برای گذراندن وقت با پدرش برای همیشه به آرزویی دست نیافتنی تبدیل شد. با گذشت نزدیک به ۳۱ سال از این حادثه، من هنوز نمی دانم که بقیه مکالمه تلفنی چه بود. تنها چیزی که می دانم این است که تمام خاطراتم از رفیقم، دوستم، دوست پسرم، نامزدم، شوهرم و پدر فرزندم مثل یک درام تکان دهنده با چند سوال بی پاسخ آمد و رفت. سوال اصلی این بود که چگونه به پسرم بگویم که رویای گذراندن وقت با پدرش متاسفانه تبدیل به یک آرزوی دست نیافتنی شده است. نزدیک به یک سال پس از این فاجعه، در ۶ آبان ۱۳۷۲، دادگاه میکونوس اولین جلسه رسیدگی خود راContinue reading “The speech of Kajal (Fatah Abduli’s wife)”

Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to this vital and unprecedented gathering hosted by the Alliance Against the Islamic Regime of Iran or AAIRIA. Today, we stand together at a pivotal moment that promises to shed light on the grave issues that affect not just individuals but the fabric of our global community. The extensive and relentless terrorist activities of the Islamic Regime of Iran have long threatened peace and security across the world. Today, we will expose these actions through the powerful and personal testimonies of those who have suffered directly under this regime’s brutality. I want to provide context on the tragic events that have brought us together today. In September 1992, a restaurant in Berlin named Mykonos was the site of a brutal attack that resulted in the assassination of four Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders. This attack, widely attributed to agents of the Iranian government, highlighted the regime’s willingness to pursue its opponents beyond its borders and into the heart of Europe. On March 17, 1992, a suicide bomber attacked the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 29 people and injuring over 200. This devastating attack was orchestrated by Hezbollah under the direction of the Iranian regime, marking it as one of the deadliest assaults on an Israeli diplomatic building. Two years later, in 1994, Buenos Aires was again the scene of terror when a bombing at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) building killed 85 people and injured more than 300 hundreds. This attack is considered the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history and is also attributed to links with Iran and Hezbollah. Each of these events demonstrates the lethal reach and the relentless nature of the regime’s campaign against perceived enemies, both within and beyond its national borders. As we proceed, let us remind ourselves of the courage it takes for our speakers to stand before us. They are not just sharing stories—they are calling for action. They are the voices of the silenced, the echoes of resilience in the face of tyranny. First, we will hear from Kajal Haji Abbasi, a widow whose life was forever changed by the infamous Mykonos Restaurant attack in Berlin. Her late husband, Fattah Abdoli, was assassinated in this act of state-sponsored terrorism. Kajal’s perspective brings us closer to understanding these crimes’ profound personal loss and ongoing impact. Next, Golaleh Sharfkandi will take the stage. As the niece of Dr. Sadegh Sharfkanid, another victim of the Mykonos Restaurant assassination, Golaleh advocates tirelessly for justice and the remembrance of those whose lives were cruelly cut short. Following Golaleh, we are honored to have Parviz Dastmalchi with us, a survivor of the Mykonos Restaurant assassinations. His miraculous survival and subsequent activism are powerful testimonies to the resilience of those who oppose tyranny. We will also hear from Roxana Levinson, who will share her story. As the niece of both Graciela Levinson, killed in the 1992 Buenos Aires Israeli embassy bombing, and Jaime Plaksin, killed in the AMIA bombing, Roxana represents the extended global community affected by the regime’s oppressive actions. Lastly, we will hear from Fardad Farahzad, a renowned anchor for Iran Internationa TV. Fardad’s recent brush with danger—a foiled assassination plot planned in the UK—underscores the far-reaching threats posed by the regime against its critics. Their voices form a chorus calling for awareness, action, and change. Let us listen, reflect, and respond with the urgency this cause deserves. Thank you for being here today. Let us begin. سخنرانی لادن بازرگان خانم ها و آقایان، به این گردهمایی مهم و بی سابقه به میزبانی اتحاد علیه مهره های رژیم اسلامی ایران خوش آمدید. امروز، ما در یک بزنگاه تاریخی در کنار هم ایستاده‌ایم که نویدبخش روشن شدن مسائل مهمی است که نه تنها بر افراد بلکه بر ساختار جامعه جهانی ما تأثیر می‌گذارد. فعالیت های تروریستی گسترده و بی امان رژیم اسلامی ایران از دیرباز صلح و امنیت را در سراسر جهان به خطر انداخته است. امروز ما این اقدامات تروریستی رژیم را از طریق شهادت‌های قدرتمند و شخصی کسانی که مستقیماً از وحشیگری این رژیم آسیب دیده‌اند، افشا خواهیم کرد. قبل از شروع برنامه باید زمینه‌ای را در مورد رویدادهای غم انگیزی که امروز ما را گرد هم آورده است، ارائه دهم. در ۲۶ شهریور ۱۳۷۱، رستوران میکونوس در برلین محل حمله اقدام تروریستی وحشیانه ای بود که منجر به مرگ چهار تن از رهبران اپوزیسیون کرد ایرانی شد. این حمله که به دستور عالیترین مقامات رژیم ایران, و همکاری عوامل این حکومت طراحی و اجرا شده است، نشان دهنده تلاش رژیم برای ساکت کردن و ایجاد ترس و وحشت در مخالفان خود در خارج از مرزهای ایران و در قلب اروپا است. در ۱۱ اسفند ۱۳۷۱، یک بمب گذار انتحاری به سفارت اسرائیل در بوئنوس آیرس، آرژانتین حمله کرد، ۲۹ نفر را کشت و بیش از ۲۰۰ نفر را مجروح کرد. این حمله وحشیانه توسط حزب الله و تحت هدایت رژیم ایران سازماندهی شده و مرگبارترین حمله در تاریخ به یک ساختمان دیپلماتیک اسرائیل است. دو سال بعد، در ۲۷ تیرماه سال ۱۳۷۳، بوئنوس آیرس بار دیگر صحنه جنایات رژیم اسلامی و حزب الله بود، هنگامی که بمب گذاری در ساختمان انجمن مشترک یهودیان اسرائیل و آرژانتین (AMIA) منجر به کشته شدن ۸۵ نفر و زخمی شدن بیش از ۳۰۰ نفر شد. این حمله مرگبارترین حمله تروریستی در تاریخ آرژانتین محسوب می شود. هر یک از این رویدادها نشان‌دهنده گستردگی مرگبار و ماهیت کارزار تروریستی رژیم علیه مخالفانش در داخل و خارج از مرزهای ملی خود است. ما باید شجاعت سخنرانان مان را تحسین کنیم. آنها فقط داستان رنجی را که بر آنها رفته به اشتراک نمی گذارند – بلکه خواستار اقدامات عملی هستند. آآنان صدای خاموش شده ها هستند، پژواک مقاومت در برابر استبداد. در این برنامه ابتدا اصحبت های خانم کژال حاجی عباسی را می شنویم، زنی که حمله تروریستی  به رستوران میکونوس در برلین زندگی اش را برای همیشه تغییر داد. همسر فقید وی فتاح عبدلی در این اقدام تروریسم دولتی ترور شد. دیدگاه کژال ما را به درک خسارت عمیق شخصی و تأثیر مداوم این جنایاتContinue reading “The Opening Remarks of Lawdan Bazargan”