Mike Pence on Ashraf 3 in Albania: diplomatic success for the Iranian Resistance
Former US Vice President Mike Pence visited in Albania the headquarters of Ashraf-3, the main headquarters of the main Iranian opposition force. Located 30 kilometres west of the capital Tirana, Ashraf-3 has since 2017 hosted some 3,000 members of the People's Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), who seek to overthrow the Iranian dictatorship by organising resistance units in the country.
Received by Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance, Mike Pence visited the Resistance Museum, which traces the history of "one hundred years of the Iranian people's struggle for freedom" and paid tribute to the thousands of Iranians who have lost their lives since the Islamist regime came to power in 1979. The former vice president spoke to survivors of human rights violations and described Ebrahim Raisi, the regime's president, as "a brutal murderer responsible for the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988".
In front of thousands of activists, Mike Pence paid tribute to the Iranian Resistance for their perseverance in the struggle for democratic change in Iran. He said that "in Iran there is a well-organised, fully prepared, fully qualified and popularly supported alternative called the PMOI. Thank you, Maryam Rajavi, for your extraordinary leadership and vision".
He praised the Iranian Resistance for its "commitment to democracy, human rights and freedom for all Iranian citizens". Maryam Rajavi's ten-point plan for Iran's future will ensure freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom for all Iranians to choose their leaders."
Pence also referred to Tehran's attempts to distort the aim of the Iranian protesters and said, "The regime in Tehran wants the world to believe that the Iranian protesters want to return to the Shah's dictatorship. But we are not fooled by their lies".
The Resistance deserves international recognition and support
For her part, Maryam Rajavi said: "The rulers in Tehran are at their weakest. They are facing the Iranian people's uprising for change. We can and must free Iran, the Middle East and the world from the evil nuclear mullahs. The November 2019 uprising, with its rebel cities and its army of freedom, has shown the way for everyone."
The Iranian leader opined that "the Iranian regime's record of human rights violations and terrorism, including the massacre of political prisoners and the crackdown on protesters in November 2019, should be referred to the UN Security Council and the regime's leaders should be prosecuted for committing genocide and crimes against humanity."
"Like Ukraine, the Iranian people and their Resistance deserve international recognition and support," she added. The war waged by the young insurgents against the Revolutionary Guard Corps to overthrow the regime must be recognised. Today, Iran's freedom fighters who fought against the Shah's regime and who are fighting against the religious dictatorship have welcomed Ashraf-3. Tomorrow, a free Iran will welcome you for supporting the Iranian people and their Resistance".
Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, declared: "The rulers in Tehran are at their weakest point. They are facing the Iranian people's uprisings for change. Iran, the Middle East and the world can and must free themselves from the evil nuclear mullahs. The mullahs have never given up the pursuit of nuclear weapons as a guarantee of their survival. This is part of the mission of Raisi, the chairman of the mullahs. The regime's human rights violations and terrorism must be referred to the UN Security Council and the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) must be dismantled.