On Wednesday 10 January, a press conference was held at the office of the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational Transparty (NRPTT) on the protests in many Iranian cities. On the thirteenth day of spontaneous mobilization 50 people have lost their lives and over 3000 have been arrested, including 90 students of the University of Tehran, 4 of whom have been on hunger strike since 29 December. The wounded are counted in the hundreds and protests continue in 132 cities.
Speakers demaned that the Italian government take in consideration those who fight for fundamental human rights, the rule of law and regime change in Iran. The risks of signing the bilateral trade agreements that Iran is concluding with various states, including Italy, were also denounced.
In fact, on Thursday 11 January a 5-billion agreement was signed to re-launch investments in Iran. The signing took place at the Ministry of Finance in the “Ciampi hall”, between Minister Pier Carlo Padoan and the Deputy Minister of the Economy of Iran, Mohammed Khazaei. The new framework agreement sets out three kinds of investment: the purchase of goods and machinery from Italy, tenders for infrastructural works, projects in the gas and oil sector.
Speakers included Elisabetta Zamparutti member of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in the Council of Europe, Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant’Agata president of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella”, Lucio Malan senator, Sergio D’Elia secretary of Hands Off Cain, Mariano Rabino MP, Laura Harth representative at the UN of the NRPTT, Roberto Rampi MP, Luigi Compagna senator, Antonio Stango president of the Italian Human Rights Federation (FIDU), Esmail Mohades spokesperson of the Association of Iranian Graduates in Italy.
The press conference was organized by Hands Off Cain and NRPTT.
Watch the video of the press conference on the website of Radio Radicale