The delegation included Rt. Hon. David Jones MP, Lord Clarke of Hampstead, Mark Williams <br /> <br />MP, Sir Alan Meale MP, Martyn Day MP, Dr. Matthew Offord, Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Toby Perkins <br /> <br />MP, and Mike Freer MP. They were joined by London lawyer Claire Offord. <br /> <br />This meeting and the policy recommendations come during a time of increased scrutiny by the <br /> <br />United Nations over its human rights record. In two weeks, Iran will hold its Parliamentary and <br /> <br />Assembly of Experts elections, which critics have argued are not free elections because the <br /> <br />candidates are strictly filtered and not considered representative of the people. <br /> <br />Evidence continues to mount that political suppression has increased under the Hassan <br /> <br />Rouhani presidency, including increasing executions and imprisonments. Iran has continued to <br /> <br />influence events throughout the region as well. <br /> <br />“Some apologists claim that after the nuclear agreement, the Iranian regime would move <br /> <br />towards moderation. Yet, we can see that the situation is otherwise. Human rights abuses in <br /> <br />Iran have worsened after the nuclear deal, as has the mullahs’ meddling and massacre in Syria,” <br /> <br />said Rajavi. “If this religious fascism were not in power in Iran, we would not have a shattered <br /> <br />Iraq today with all its painful tragedies. Likewise, in Syria, there would not have been this <br /> <br />violent war and genocide and Yemen would not have turned into a killing field by the regime’s <br /> <br />agents.” <br /> <br />Rajavi also indicated that based on the mullahs’ theocracy, expanding extremism and retaliating <br /> <br />against Western nations are the main tendencies. “The outcome of these two tendencies are <br /> <br />terrorist attacks in Europe,” Rajavi said. <br /> <br />The policy recommendations focused on human rights, with their statement reading in part, <br /> <br />“Human rights must be a central factor in our relations with Iran. We must make it clear to the <br /> <br />rulers of Iran that their behavior towards their own people is unacceptable. We must not turn a <br /> <br />blind eye to the grave violations of human rights in Iran. On the contrary, expressions of <br /> <br />concern about the human rights situation in Iran must be a priority in any bilateral
