27
Nov
2024
Watch
The increasing and systematic repression of women in Iran
Ms President, when a woman in Iran refuses to obey laws that strip her of dignity, the regime calls her dangerous or unstable. But the truth is that women are not the problem; not those who resist, but the system that punishes them if they do not bow their heads. This is not just their fight, it is our fight. It is useless to talk about human rights but we do nothing or do not do enough to defend them. We will be be betraying the values on which the European Union was founded. We have to go beyond statements. We must strengthen mechanisms to ensure accountability. We must ensure and fight for justice, and above all we must ensure that we are on the side of truth, on the side of those who courageously oppose fear and intimidation, on the side of those who after all fight only for what every human being has a right to: life, freedom and equality. Indifference is complicity. There is no room for compromise on human rights. We have a duty not only as MEPs but as human beings to stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims of this intimidation. This is a test for all of us: or we will be on the side of justice or indifference. For me, the answer is clear.