President Roberta Metsola said that Parliament will keep pushing to strengthen sanctions against the oppressors in Iran and to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Dear colleagues, Over the last weeks we have witnessed an uprising in Iran unlike anything seen in a generation. More than a protest, it was a cry for the liberty and rights so many of us are able to take for granted. The images coming from Iran have shocked the world: scenes of brutal repression, families searching for loved ones in morgues overflowing with body bags. Reports now speak of victims in their thousands. The Iranian people deserve to live in freedom away from the clutches of a desperate regime that seeks to control every aspect of their lives using violence, murder and repression as tools of self-preservation. The people of Iran are only asking for what every person deserves: freedom, justice, and a future that they can believe in. Europe’s own history teaches us that the desire for freedom and dignity can overcome any odds. I am proud that this Parliament has led on this and proud that we have acted. Last week, after consulting all Political Groups, I took the decision to ban all diplomats and representatives of the Iranian regime from the European Parliament. We will not allow them a platform in Europe to legitimise their brutality. But now more must be done. We will keep pushing to strengthen sanctions and to finally designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. This is not a symbolic gesture. It would mean further degradation of their ability to operate with impunity, it would disrupt their cash flow, and underline that they will find no safe haven. Equally importantly, it would send a strong message to the brave Iranians on the streets that Europe has heard them, that we stand with them and that we have acted against their oppressors. Colleagues, I know many of you want to remember the thousands murdered on Iran’s streets, but the people of Iran do not need silence, they have been kept forcefully silent for 47 years. So today I ask you to do something different. I’ll ask that we pay tribute to those killed and join me in filling this chamber with a moment of applause as we honour their bravery and courage.