Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi declared in a speech to the European Parliament that the Iranian Islamic Republic cannot be reformed, but that the country needs a new constitution.
In recent months, protests have erupted again in Iran against the clerical regime and the suppression of democratic forces.
On the occasion of International Women's Day, Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti were invited to address the full assembly of the European Parliament.
Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize twenty years ago for her work advocating democracy and human rights in Iran, especially for the rights of women and children. Samantha Cristoforetti is an astronaut at the European Space Agency and the first female commander of the International Space Station Expedition 68.
Ebadi advocated in Strasbourg for a regime change in her country. She called for a new constitution that would make radical reforms possible. Her reference to the protest movement “Woman, Life, Freedom” received applause from many Members of the European Parliament.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, praised Ebadi’s work for democracy and human rights, applauded the bravery of Iranian women, and said their struggle serves as an “inspiration for women all over the world.”
The renewed protests against the Iranian ayatollahs began after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. Amini was arrested for allegedly wearing the mandatory headscarf improperly. Security forces brutally suppressed the protest movement, killing more than 520 demonstrators and illegally detaining over 19,000 people, according to activists.
Following unlawful detentions and biased trials, the judiciary has issued harsh sentences, including the death penalty, against protesters.