Interview with Hajir Attari
Member of Political-Executive Council of Union for Secular Republic and Human Rights in Iran
Q. How to you see the situation of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the present?
A. Overall events of 2019 has been the complete de-legitimization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). They have been suffering from lack of legitimacy which was escalated following the Presidential coup d'état of 2009 but has never been to this extend. Easily one can say those factors that make a government legitimate in nonexistent in Iran. Mismanagement to deal with floods and earthquakes, plans to increase fuel prices by virtue of orders from Khamenei without consultation of the so-called Majlis (Parliament), bloody suppression of November protests followed by downing of Ukraine passenger plane killing 176 innocent people and then the lies and deceits that followed and then the student protests, is enough for the inability of any totalitarian regime legitimacy even amongst its own supporters. But the final nail in the coffin of this religious dictatorship came in two forms; lack of participation by the people in the recent Parliamentarian election immediately followed by the Coronavirus outbreak and the ongoing systematic lies and deceits. Adding to these crises, each of which is sufficient to overthrow a totalitarian system one must add the total collapse of the economy and disappointment towards Rouhani Presidency. It appears the IRI does not have a new card except to resort to violence.
Q. What is the effect of Coronavirus in Iran and how has the government dealt with it?
A. Coronavirus is a global crisis but like everything else Iran’s response has been unique. Repeated process of denial, joke, acceptance with minimum urgency and finally accepting the truth and repeat of the same process! This has been the same for forty years without any new ideas. Refusing to quarantine the critical city of Qom because of ideological issues, the upcoming Parliamentarian elections and anniversary of the revolution, and the progressive spread of the virus has put Iran on the brink of catastrophe. If not for the presence of dedicated medical staff we would have indeed witnessed a catastrophe of the century in Iran. Thanks to the efforts of the dedicated health workers with aid from social media civil society was able to take control of the situation with no help from the government. The catastrophe and death continue but the consciousness of the middle class and the wounded Iranian civil society partially fills the gaps in the management system and tries to alert people to the consequences of their lack of quarantine.
Q. How would you evaluate the situation of the opposition abroad and what should be their immediate plans?
A. With all the horrific news coming from Iran opposition has been crippled and the only viable group that tries to be with the people and to help them are those who believe in Republican system. They try to resonate with the civil society and be their voice globally. Either during the protests of November and student protests of January or families of those killed in the plane as well as during the boycott of the parliamentarian elections and no the Coronavirus. We certainly do not believe in creating an alternative to this regime form abroad and our only goal is to defend the right of the oppressed people and to raise their voice in the international community and to try to slow down the regime’s repressive machinery by drawing attention to the human rights among world bodies and western governments.
Q. What do you think on the existing sanctions and how has it effected the people and the regime?
A. We generally oppose the broad sanctions that directly impact the Iranian People especially the unilateral sanctions by Trump Administration without consultation with the UN that hurts our people. While we are aware of the destructive role and policy of the Islamic Republic in the Middle East we believe that these sanctions will only destroy the middle class which are the only hope for a free and democratic future for Iran. I will not get into this argument that by declaring medical and food are not sanctioned because there is a financial, insurance and transportation process which are sanctioned. So our demand is the removal of the sanctions in its totality at least until the end of Coronavirus. Our main objective is to impose sanctions directly effecting the Islamic Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Revolutionary Guards and the forces of religious dictatorship ruling Iran. These sanctions must be carried out under the United Nations supervision.
