At a critical juncture for Iran, Europe must resist the temptation of easy narratives. The Iranian people are demanding a democratic future of their own making, not a return to discredited systems.

Having served for years in the European Parliament, including within its leadership structures, I have followed Iranian affairs closely. The European Parliament reflects the values and aspirations of the peoples of Europe—freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. We expect those rights for ourselves, and we believe they should be universal.

Nowhere is that conviction more urgently tested than in Iran.

Over recent years, the Iranian people have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to stand up for their rights. The nationwide uprising of January 2026 was yet another stark reminder. The regime responded with brutal force, killing thousands and arresting tens of thousands. Since then, it has resorted to a wave of executions targeting political dissidents, particularly activists associated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), in a bid to prevent further uprisings.

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On 15 April, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), in cooperation with the Delegation for Relations with Iran, convened a meeting to assess the situation. The session was presented as an exchange of views with representatives from diverse Iranian opposition groups.

In his opening remarks, the Chair emphasized that the committee’s political groups had agreed to organise such a discussion and had sought to ensure diversity among the invitees.

Even a cursory review suggests that several invitees are aligned with the same political current advocating a return to the Pahlavi monarchy. This calls into question whether the meeting truly reflected the diversity of Iranian opposition voices.

Source: Daily Express :: World Feed