Wednesday, 28 September 22 

Demands to the German Government on Iran Policy 

Dear Members of the German Federal Government,

We welcome your comments on the death of Jîna Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman just 22 years old, at the hands of the Iranian regime's henchmen. However, violence against Iranian women has been a cornerstone of the misogynist regime for 43 years. Jîna Mahsa Amini's death therefore triggers nationwide protests against the Islamist regime.

Words are not enough in this situation, action must be taken now!

Already in 2019, the regime has killed over 1,000 people demonstrating for freedom in the streets in just three days. These days, we are again receiving reports that dozens of people have been shot by Iranian police. The regime uses weapons against its own people, has houses searched to find opposition members, tortures journalists and women's rights activists.

Even abroad, people are threatened and dissidents murdered who draw attention to the regime's crimes.

Nevertheless, the Iranian population refuses to be intimidated, demonstrations continue, Iranian women cut off their hair in protest and publicly burn the headscarf imposed on them - and are murdered for it.

In this dangerous situation, Iranians fighting for democracy and freedom demand only one thing: that this time the governments of democratic constitutional states do not keep the Iranian regime alive with their support.

The German government should act consistently to put a stop to the regime.

We call on the German government to halt all official negotiations with the Iranian regime and impose tough sanctions. All trade relations should be stopped immediately. Any deal that provides the regime with income that finances violence against its own people must be terminated.

Iranian dissidents and women's rights activists who have fled to Germany must be given protection. The Iranian regime's outposts in Germany, which include the Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg, should be closed and Iranian representatives expelled.

Only consistent action can improve the situation for Iranians. We declare our solidarity with the Iranian people who demand freedom and with all Iranians who fight for human rights for women. We call on the German government to pursue a consistent feminist foreign policy that completely isolates the regime.

We will never forget Jîna Mahsa Amini! Zan Zendegi Azadi - long live free and secular Iran!

Signatories

Mina Ahadi, Chairwoman of Zentralrat der Ex-Muslime Deutschland

Rana Ahmad, Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe Deutschland e.V.

Masih Alinejad, Journalist, Activist and Author

Dr. Lale Akgün, MdB a.D.

Güner Yasemin Balci, Author and Filmmaker

Tobias Bauschke, Member of the Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin

Ulrike Becker, Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin

Jonas Breng, Journalist

Jason Brodsky, Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)

Naïla Chikhi, Founder of Initiative Migrantinnen für Säkularität und Selbstbestimmung

Mariam Claren, daughter of political prisoner Nahid Taghavi and founder of the #freenahid-Campaign

Nina Coenen, Chairwoman of Demokratielotsen e.V.

Saeid Dehghan, Human Rights Lawyer

Guila Fakhoury, Co-Founder of Amer Fakhoury Foundation

Saba Farzan, Chairwoman of Chapter FDP Gendarmenmarkt

Gilane Fataryi, News Presenter at AlArabiya TV

Shammi Haque, Journalist in Exile

Rahim Hemti, Member of SPD

David Ibsen, Executive Director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)

Ali Javanmardi, Independent Journalist and Political Activist

Claire Jungman, Chief of Staff at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)

Valerio Krüger, Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM)

Matthias Küntzel, Political Scientist

Mohsen Lotfi, Political Activist in Germany

Shiva Mahbobi, Activist for Women’s Rights & Release of Political Prisoners

Daryoush Memar, Journalist

Mariam Memarsadeghi, Founder and Director of Cyrus Forum and Senior Fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin

Yasmine Mohammed, Free Hearts Free Minds

Philipp Möller, Zentralrat der Konfessionsfreien

Florence Montreynaud, Writer

Dr. Kazem Moussavi, Speaker of the Green Party of Iran in Germany

Kaveh Moussavi, Human Rights Lawyer, International Arbitrator

Dr. Reza Parchizadeh, Political Theorist and Security Analyst 

Jason Poblete, Esq., President of Global Liberty Alliance, Alexandria, Virginia

Laura Pohl, Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM)

Hourvash Pourkian, International Women in Power

Ahmad Rafat, Journalist and Writer

Bary Rosen, Survivor of the Iran Hostage Crisis and Senior Advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)

Gunnar Schedel, MIZ. Politisches Magazin für Konfessionslose und AtheistINNEN

Rebecca Schönenbach, Chairwoman of Frauen für Freiheit e.V.

Kaveh Shahrooz, Lawyer and Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Daniela Sepehri, Activist

Azin Shahrokhi, Canadian Human Rights Activist

Adel Sharifi, Journalist and Activist

Gazelle Sharmahd, Daughter of the kidnapped Journalist Jamshid Sharmahd, #SaveSharmahd-Campaign

Neda Soltani, Right to Education and Academic Freedom

Anna Staroselski, President of Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland (JSUD)

Mehmet Tanriverdi, 2. Federal Chairman of Kurdische Gemeinde Deutschland

Nicole Thies, Projekt 48 e.V. 

Ali Ertan Toprak, President of Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Immigrantenverbände in Deutschland (BAGIV)

Christoph de Vries, Member of the German Bundestag

Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform

WerteInitiative - jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V.

Markus Wollina, Member of DIE LINKE, Speaker of LAG Säkulare Linke Berlin

Maya Zehden, Vice Chairwoman of Deutsch-Israelischen Gesellschaft Berlin und Brandenburg e.V.