Before anything else, I urged the Council of Europe to help in the efforts to secure the release of those arrested in the recent uprising.

MARYAM RAJAVI IN A GATHERING OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S VARIOUS GROUPS: SUPPORT IRAN UPRISING

 Maryam Rajavi in a gathering of members of Council of Europe’s various groups: Support Iran Uprising
After participating and addressing official meetings EPP, UEL and ALDE groups at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Maryam Rajavi addressed a gathering of representatives from various political groups in the Council of Europe and prominent European personalities entitled, “Freedom of Prisoners of Uprising.” Maryam Rajavi said in her remarks:

Distinguished representatives,
Good evening,
Today, in meetings with various political groups of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, I explained about the current special circumstances in Iran.

Tehran has made every effort to suppress and destroy MEK since the advent of the Islamic Republic. The organization played a role in the 1979 revolution against the Shah, but opposed the establishment of absolute clerical rule. Since then, it has been a tireless advocate for regime change in favor of a democratic system.

Iran Regime’s Weakness and Its Fear From Pmoi/Mek Exposed During the Uprising

London, 18 Jan - At the beginning of 2018, Citing Iran's "state television", AFP reported that while making a clear allusion to the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), Rouhani told President Macron, "We criticize the fact that a group has a base in France and acts against the Iranian people and encourages violence. We expect the French government to act against this terrorist group ".

These remarks reflected above all the anxiety of the mullahs' regime in the face of the expansion of the uprising against the religious dictatorship and the growing popularity of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).and the Iranian Resistance. Rouhani accused the MEK of violence, while the European Union, its member countries, as well as the United States, strongly criticized the Iranian regime for the repression of demonstrations, killing and seriously injuring many people and President Macron has expressed concern on the death of the protestors. To date, dozens of unarmed protesters have been killed by Revolutionary Guards and thousands more arrested.

As stated by Kasra Nejat in Columbia tribune, according to the opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), at least 8,000 people were detained within the first two weeks; the regime admits to approximately half this number. Its judiciary was quick to threaten death sentences for “those most responsible.”
There is little mystery about what sort of charges will be used to justify such killings; a wide range of political offenses can result in execution in the Islamic Republic, including membership in banned organizations and the crime of mohabareh, or “enmity against God.” In fact, the latter was codified in Iranian law largely for the purpose of establishing death as the default punishment for members of the leading opposition group, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

Proving once again how this administration is in far contrast with its predecessor, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called for an emergency UN Security Council session to discuss the ongoing protests and Tehran’s crackdown.

MEK, Under the NCRI Umbrella, What Iran's Regime Is Actually Terrified Of

As the world strives to determine if these protests enjoy an organized nature, debating which party – if any – is behind this seemingly spontaneous movement, state-

backed media in Iran are claiming that the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin 

Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has been shaping the ongoing protests from their very beginning.

London, 9 Jan - For nearly two weeks now protests are mushrooming across Iran and literally shaking the very pillars of the country’s ruling regime. 

Various discussions continue over the scope of these protests, their comparisons to the 2009 and 1999 uprising episodes, what should be expected from the international community and how to trek forward, amongst other subjects.

The Iranian regime is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and extremism in the world, posing a serious threat in the face of peace and security in the Middle East and across the globe.The shameful appeasement policy as well as the so-called “containment” policy of the West towards Iran (that has only furthered domestic crackdowns and increased extremism and terrorism — especially during the eight Obama years) has now come to an end. The current uprising in Iran proves the solution lies in regime change.

How to Kick Out the Ayatollahs in Iran

This is doable without foreign military action; it is only necessary to stand alongside the Iranian people and their organized resistance — and stop appeasing the mullahs.
The current uprising in Iran is not spontaneous. It is the result of 36 years of perseverance and resistance by a nation that has stood firm in the face of the inhuman conditions imposed by the religious and bloodthirsty dictatorship.

Since Ayatollah Khomeini took power in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, 120,000 Iranian have been executed by this regime. The Iranian people rose up against the Shah’s dictatorship, wanting to replace it with freedom and democracy. However, in the chaos, Khomeini was able to hijack the revolution.

The mullahs have since been able to maintain their rule through violent oppression. The international community’s silence and inaction in the face of Tehran’s crackdown against dissidents and meddling in other countries has played a key role in the regime’s survival.

The protests are growing in intensity and size every day and have now expanded to over 80 cities nationwide.

Iran protests: Here is what the US should do now

Iran protests: What you need to know
Anti-government demonstrations that erupted Thursday and have since spread across Iran represent the most serious challenge to the theocracy that has ruled the nation since seizing power in the 1979 revolution.

The U.S. government needs to support the protests with actions to put pressure on the repressive forces of the Iranian government. Such actions should include:

Most importantly, starting to build a relationship with the organized opposition that is seeking a free, secular, democratic and non-nuclear republic in Iran.

It is worth noting that according to the state-run Tasnim news agency (December 10, 2017), “Missiles and the IRGC Quds Force are the priorities of the new year’s budget”. It becomes evident that the priority of Rouhani’s cabinet is the development of ballistic missiles and meddling in the affairs of neighboring countries not the nationwide crises inside Iran.

Rouhani’s 2018 Budget Plan And The Nationwide Crises In Iran

The budget has no place for investment in the industrial and agricultural sector. While according to Rouhani, more than 1.2 million people are added to the workforce every year, the government is doing nothing to provide these people with employment. In addition, every day, the number of unemployed people increases.

 According to the statistics declared by state-run media, each year, the IRGC and its partners smuggle more than $25 billion worth of goods into the country, contributing to the destruction of small workshops and production facilities in Iran.

In most countries of the world, when there are several nationwide crises, the government has to provide specific plans to solve those dilemmas when declaring its yearly budget to the parliament. For instance, if there is an unemployment problem, the government has to allocate a budget for job creation and present a plan to solve the issue. The same goes for other problems, such as water scarcity, pollution, and etc. In all cases, a specific budget must be assigned to fixing those problems.

However, let us see how the Iranian regime is dealing with its nationwide crises. On December 12, 2017, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani introduced his government’s budget to the parliament, which is 1194 trillion Tomans (approx. $340 billion). The budget will be provided through the sale of oil and gas, as well as the heavy taxing of the Iranian people in direct and indirect ways.

Today, addiction and use of drugs are widespread in Iran, particularly among children and students, in Iran. There is a direct correlation between poverty, homelessness and addiction, as children living on the e dge of the cities generally use drugs.

Iran: More than 1,000 drug addicts were arrested in one day

A survey carried out by a drug control group has found that about 2.8 million people are regularly consuming drugs in the country.
The head of a working group on drugs in the Expediency Council, Saeed Safatian, told the official IRNA news agency that the number of drug users might be even higher.

The majority of Iran’s at least 14 million drug users drug users are young men and women. The average age of addiction in Iran has dropped to 13, according to reports published by state media.    However, there are numerous reports of children as young as 3 and 4 who start using drugs along with their addicted parents, and an increasing number of infants who are born with drug addiction.

Disappointingly, the Iranian regime has no short or long-term plans to contain the unbridled spread of addiction especially among the young populace.

Experts argue that easy access to cheap narcotic drugs has contributed to the horrific number of drug addicts in Iran. It is common knowledge that narcotics can be purchased much easier than a loaf of bread.