Particularly, MEPs drew attention to the infringement of women’s rights inside the mullah regime; <br /> <br />Daniela Aiuto, MEP from Italy, stated that she was heartened to see the leading role played by <br /> <br />women inside the Iranian Resistance movement – a stark contrast to the absence of women from <br /> <br />positions of political leadership in Iran. With less than one week until International Women’s Day, <br /> <br />Ms. Aiuto expressed support for Iranian women resistors struggling against government oppression. <br /> <br />Similarly, Julie Ward, MEP for the British Labour Party, and member of the EU Committee on <br /> <br />Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, said that Iranian women were at the forefront of social <br /> <br />movements advocating for democracy and equality in their country. Ms. Ward spoke specifically on <br /> <br />the plight of Iranian bloggers and cartoonists, mentioning Narges Mohammadi, a veteran human <br /> <br />rights activist and defender of freedom of expression, who was arrested in May 2015 on as yet <br /> <br />unknown charges. <br /> <br />Despite her criticisms of the nuclear accord, Ms. Rajavi did express her hopes that this parliamentary <br /> <br />meeting would send a clear message to the Rouhani regime that their human rights abuses have not <br /> <br />gone unchecked by European powers. She stated that the Iranian leadership is ultimately in a <br /> <br />vulnerable position given that any change in the current regime would “lead to its general weakness <br /> <br />and entirely paralyze it.” This fragility was demonstrated clearly in the “so-called elections” that took <br /> <br />place last Friday where no opposition groups were allowed to stand.
