September 10, 2026
At a meeting in Parliament
today, cross-party MPs and Peers, legal experts, and members
of the Anglo-Iranian Community, and representatives of the
National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), discussed the
human rights crisis in Iran amid the ongoing conflict and
warned that the systemic impunity is deteriorating an
already alarming situation.
Speakers condemned the
increasing executions and use of death penalty, in
particular those politically motivated, targeting members of
the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and
protesters, a worrying trend documented by the UN
Fact-Finding Mission.
The cross-party Members of
Parliament and legal experts argued that these political
executions primarily aim to instil fear into a society on
the brink, suppress dissent and to prevent future uprising.
Speakers stressed the need for urgent international
intervention to save the lives of those on death row,
including protesters, PMOI members and supporters, and to
prevent mass executions such as those carried out during the
1988 massacre from happening again.
The meeting
concluded that neither war nor appeasement through
diplomacy, trade, and dialogue has delivered a lasting
solution. It therefore called for the urgent adoption of a
new UK policy centred on human rights, accountability and
the Iranian people’s right to determine their own future
and pursue democratic change, as set out in the NCRI’s
Third Option.
NCRI President-elect for the
transitional period Mrs Maryam Rajavi addressed the meeting
in a video message and said:
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“The ruling regime
faces many problems … but its biggest challenge is the
young generation that is ready to make any sacrifice to
overthrow the regime.
“Conditions in the prisons
where detained protesters are held are very bad. They are
overcrowded. Prisoners do not have enough food or medicine
or access to medical treatment.
“Inside the prisons,
prisoners have participated in the “No to Executions”
campaign for 136 weeks in 62 prisons.
“To stop the
uprising, the regime relies on war … The Shah took power
through a military coup and ruled by torture. Today, his son
says on TV that he is proud of everything his family
did.
“Long years of experience prove that ignoring
executions and ignoring the Iranian people’s Resistance
lie in the heart of a policy that has helped the regime over
several decades.”
Calling on the UK and the world to
stand with the people of Iran, she added:
“We need a
policy that supports the Iranian people’s demand for a
democratic republic … and real action against the regime,
including:
“First – Make all diplomatic and trade
relations depend on an end to executions.
“Second –
Use international jurisdiction to prosecute those
responsible for the 1988 massacre and recent killings.
And
“Third – Ensure any international agreement
includes a real, verified stop to executions.”
Ms
Dowlat Nowrouzi, NCRI representative in the UK and
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE),
explained the many crises facing the regime and the growing
recognition of the NCRI’s democratic alternative and
solution to help Iranian people succeed. She
added:
“Today, millions of Iranians face poverty,
inflation, and unemployment. The value of the national
currency has fallen dramatically far worse than January 2026
that led to uprisings.
“Workers and ordinary
families struggle to survive. Protests continue across the
country because people want change. The overthrow of this
inhumane and corrupt regime is inevitable and a task for the
Iranian people.
“In June 2026, more than 3,000
legislators and former world leaders expressed support for
the Iranian Resistance, NCRI’s Provisional Government
based on Mrs Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, to transfer
the sovereignty to the people of Iran.”
In his
message to the meeting, Co-chair of the British Committee
for Iran Freedom (BCFIF), Bob Blackman CBE MP
said:
“We [should not] mistake a restorationist
project for a democratic alternative. Reza Pahlavi’s support
for foreign military strikes, the conduct of some of his
supporters towards other opposition groups, and his failure
to offer a clear reckoning with the abuses of the former
monarchy have all raised serious questions about his
democratic credentials, not least among
Iranians.
“The future of Iran must be based on what
majority of the Iranian people demand, a popular
sovereignty, pluralism, and democratic accountability, not a
dynastic restoration.
“The Iranian people have shown
extraordinary courage in pursuing that future. The NCRI and
the PMOI have been at the forefront of that struggle. The
United Kingdom should stand with them as the surest path
towards a peaceful, democratic Iran.”
Baroness O’Loan
DBE, along with other cross-party colleagues backed Mrs
Rajavi’s call for accountability, and said:
“The
United Kingdom should stand with the Iranian people and
support their right to democratic change, advance
accountability through international mechanisms, close the
regime’s embassy in London, and condition future relations
on ending executions, torture, and releasing all political
prisoners.”
Jim Shannon MP added:
“Our
message to the Government is simple and clear: stand with
the Iranian people and their popular resistance, reject the
murderous regime, recognise the NCRI’s Provisional
Government as the democratic alternative, and work with
Madam Rajavi to secure accountability.”
Rt Hon.
Sammy Wilson MP said:
“The regime does not represent
the Iranian people; it is their oppressor. The Iranian
people’s interests and democratic aspirations are best
represented by the NCRI and Mrs Rajavi, who offer a
democratic vision and peaceful transition
framework.
Lord McCabe said:
“The
international community should place human rights at the
centre of policy toward Iran, support accountability
mechanisms through international legal institutions, and
uphold the right of the Iranian people and their organised
resistance to determine Iran’s democratic
future.”
Other attendees and speakers
included: Rt Hon. Lord Spellar; Dr Leyla Hannbeck;
Professor Sara Chandler KC (Hon.), Secretary of the Human
Rights Commission of the Federation of European Bar
Associations, representing lawyers of Europe; Dr Jocelynne
Scutt, former Judge, councillor, writer and filmmaker;
Councillor Robert Ward; Dr Caroline Bennett, Assistant
Professor in Social Anthropology and International
Development School of Global Studies University of Sussex
Brighton; Rosa Zareii, Master’s Degree and PhD Candidate
in International Politics; Elahe Zabihi, Lecturer from
University of London; and Amir Hossein Oliaee, Master’s
Student in Biomedical Engineering.
About British
Committee for Iran Freedom:
The British
Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) is a leader for
analysis of Iranian affairs with more than 20 years of
experience and expertise in affairs concerning Iran and the
Middle East.
Founded by the late Lord Corbett
of Castle Vale in 2000, the committee’s principal
objective is to shape policy on Iran in favour of a firm
approach towards Iran’s theocratic regime and support for
the Iranian people and their legitimate resistance movement
to achieve a secular democracy. The BCFIF has cross-party
members in both Houses of Parliament and enjoys the strong
support of over 200 MPs and Peers. For more information,
please visit: www.iran-freedom.org
