German Parliament’s Foreign Relations Chair Meets Iranian Activists

On November 28th, a meeting hosted by the German Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee was held to engage with Iranian activists who fled the country due to their involvement in the women’s revolutionary movement. Representatives from the Social Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party, and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended. Michael Roth, from the Social Democratic Party, chaired the session.

Witnesses, identified as Narges, Fatemeh, and Babak (Soroush Shokri), shared their experiences during protests, detentions, and interrogations. Soroush Shokri, a Kurdish Sunni lawyer and member of 6rang, emphasised the need for German politicians to address the hate campaigns and actions by the Iranian government against the LGBT+ community. He urged Western governments, including Germany, to hold Iran accountable for violating the rights of sexual and gender minorities.

During the session, two women’s rights activists, Narges and Fatemeh, recounted their harrowing experiences of detention and torture. Narges highlighted the ongoing resilience of the Iranian people, especially women, in their struggle. She underscored the significance of the revolutionary movement in breaking the taboo of compulsory veiling despite increased government suppression. Fatemeh spoke about her experience of sexual assault during interrogation and imprisonment in a psychiatric hospital run by the Revolutionary Guards. She advocated for designating the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation.

6rang presented its report, “War on Bodies and Minds,” revealing the presence of sexual and gender minority individuals in the protests and the intensified violence against protesters and detainees. A copy of the report was submitted to the session chair.

The presence of 6rang in this session aligns with international efforts to address systematic human rights violations in Iran and assist refugees forced to leave the country.