Political Activists: The Government Ignites the Powder Keg of People's Anger Instead of Being Accountable

A number of political activists inside the country issued a statement on Tuesday, September 7, emphasizing the people's right to protest against the wrong policies that have led the country to the brink of destruction. They called on the government to stop creating an atmosphere of intimidation, fear, and humiliation to evade accountability to the people. The signatories of this statement, including Shahabuddin Haeri Shirazi, Abdollah Momeni, and Mehdi Nasiri, addressed the Iranian people, stating: 'You have the right to protest against the wrong policies that have brought the country to the brink of destruction. Protesting against the destructive policies and actions of the government, both domestically and internationally, is not only your civic and national right but also a duty that the Almighty demands from us towards the rulers.' These political activists also emphasized that the government has a duty to be accountable for its damaging policies, stating: 'The government has no right to create an atmosphere of intimidation, fear, and humiliation to escape accountability to the people. The government has no right to harass the parents, relatives, and loved ones of the innocent victims and those affected by the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Because dealing with protesters against the government's wrong policies means violating the civil rights of all people in Iran.' This group of domestic opponents of the Islamic Republic also noted: 'We, the signatories of this statement, on the eve of the anniversary of the inspiring Women, Life, Freedom movement, thank the patient and noble, peace-loving, and demanding people of Iran, who over the past year, in addition to enduring numerous hardships such as inflation, lack of planning, humiliations, and the closure of many businesses through illegal filtering of cyberspace and the recent parliamentary bill titled 'Chastity and Hijab' (which is a clear violation of the people's rights), have witnessed the government's harsh and unreasonable response to their rightful demands. We warn the government that any security, military, and judicial action to hold public ceremonies during the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, daughter of Iran, and other innocent victims of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, may become a spark on the powder keg of the people's accumulated anger, and the consequences will endanger our beloved country, which will undoubtedly place all the consequences of this mismanagement and violence on the shoulders of the decision-makers and policymakers of the regime.' They added in their statement: 'In our view, the only way forward for the regime is to use reason and recognize the people's right to express their demands, to hold free ceremonies for the deceased, to apologize to the affected families, to compensate them, and to commit to an early and urgent holding of a free referendum on important national issues.' The signatories of this statement concluded by emphasizing that they will not leave the youth alone in expressing their rightful demands and expressed hope that the regime, understanding the current situation, will not expose the country and the people to further harm and will take this heartfelt warning seriously.