Call for immediate response to the crisis in Iran

Since the announcement of the official results of the recent presidential election in Iran, millions of protesters have taken to the streets, in a spontaneous and peaceful outcry against what is widely perceived to be a stolen election. The government-sanctioned response to these protests has been extremely violent, and there is no sign that the violence will cease soon. We believe that world public opinion can have a positive impact on the situation in Iran, a crisis with far-reaching implications for not just the country but for the entire region and the world itself.

Please read the statement below, sign and distribute it widely. 

1. We, the concerned citizens of the world, demand sustained international diplomatic pressure on Iran, in order to achieve the following objectives:

%uFFFD      That an impartial investigative committee be formed to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation concerning allegations of electoral fraud;

%uFFFD      That arrests, detentions, and covert and overt acts of violence and intimidation against innocent civilians cease immediately;

%uFFFD      That innocent individuals already arrested and currently being detained in known and unknown locations be released immediately;

%uFFFD      That an impartial investigative committee be formed to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the nature of recent acts of violence, and that all the perpetrators of violence be brought to justice;

%uFFFD      That channels of communication within Iran be opened once again; in particular, that the state-controlled network of land and mobile telephones, text-messaging and internet services be rendered fully operational; and that attempts to block access of Iranian citizens to global media (satellite TV and news sites) cease immediately;

%uFFFD      That local and foreign journalists be allowed to operate freely and safely in order to document the unfolding of events in the country.

2. We demand that no members of the international community recognize Mr Ahmadinejad as the victor of the recent election in Iran before the above concerns have been addressed in a satisfactory manner.

3. We demand that under no condition should there be any foreign armed intervention as a response to this crisis, or in an attempt to further destabilize the situation in Iran.