Exclusive: Golriz Ghahraman, New Zealand MP: The World Must Support the People of Iran

Golriz Ghahraman, a member of the New Zealand Parliament who recently held the Islamic Republic's ambassador in New Zealand accountable for the actions and policies of Iranian officials, states that "the free world must hold the officials of the Islamic Republic accountable and compel them to respond." This Iranian-born New Zealand lawmaker, in an exclusive interview with Kambiz Tavana, a reporter for Voice of America, added: "By questioning the Islamic Republic's ambassador in the New Zealand Parliament, I intended to tell this gentleman and other officials of the Islamic Republic that if you want to live in a free country under the shadow of democracy with your family, while in Iran you beat and kill our children for a strand of hair and for dancing in the street, then you must be accountable here." This New Zealand MP emphasized that "all Iranian families have been oppressed and are still oppressed by the Islamic Republic over the past 44 years, and in my opinion, the reason these events still occur in Iran and this oppression continues is that the rest of the world has done nothing to save the people of Iran and stop the Islamic Republic." Golriz Ghahraman stressed that "we, the people of Iran, are also human beings, and when they beat, kill, and torture Iranian children, the rest of the world must react in some way, just as they would for a New Zealander, Englishman, or American." She added: "As a member of Parliament, I am focused on forcing New Zealand officials to expel the Islamic Republic's ambassador and prevent the country's banks from holding the money belonging to the officials and affiliates of the Islamic Republic, and not only New Zealand but all countries in the world should act and behave this way." Referring to the ambassador's "unintentional confession" in the New Zealand Parliament session regarding the "executions" and "torture" of opponents of the Islamic Republic in Iran, she stated: "I intend to use this confession and send the ambassador's statements about the executions and torture of opponents to international organizations and the United Nations to compel the Iranian regime officials to be accountable and stop these actions." In conclusion, Golriz Ghahraman invited all Iranians to join her in international courts and the United Nations to condemn the crimes of the Islamic Republic.