On the occasion of first anniversary of Russian aggression into Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, when Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine in the name of “special military operation”, most of Iranians remembered the official announcement of Iran´s territory invasion by Saddam-Hossein, Iraq´s former cruel dictator, on 22 September 1980. What happened in Ukraine was like those occurred during the Iraq invasion of Iran. The sounds of the Russian military vehicles movement towards Ukrainian’s cities recreated Iraqi Baath regime's tanks which rolled on Iran's soil, and occupied Khorramshahr and encircled Abadan in the same barbaric action committed by Russian military forces. The world observed a big tragedy when Russian vehicles violated the international laws ignoring Ukraine territorial integrity and ultimately illegally separated Luhansk and Donbass. The bodies of civilians left at the entrance of the Ukrainian cities replicated the image of the oppressed and defenseless people of Khuzestan in the memory of Iranians.
It is easy to compare the bravery of the Ukrainian people who defend their country with thousands of Iranians who broke the siege of Abadan and liberated Khorramshahr from the occupiers. But it is hard to believe the Iran government officials intentional ignorance toward another aggressor and abstain from voting in international forums for calling for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.
On the anniversary of this aggression, the Union for Secular Republic, and Human Rights in Iran, while condemning of Putin's war machine on the territory of Ukraine, praise the People of Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for their sacrifice to defend their nation. We condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for its support and military assistance to the Russia’s aggression against a sovereign nation recognized by UN.
February 24, 2023
