On the Muntplein in Brussels, two Iranian human rights organisations, Hengaw and Mala Kurd, have set up 700 photo frames displaying photos of 1,540 people. These are people who lost their lives during the recent protests in Iran as a result of violence by the Iranian regime.
With their action, Hengaw and Mala Kurd want to urge the European and Belgian governments to increase diplomatic pressure on Tehran. In early January, a large-scale mobilisation against the Iranian regime was brutally suppressed. Human rights organisations speak of thousands of deaths among the activists.
‘There are said to be ten thousand, even twenty thousand victims, but there is no official confirmation of these figures,’ says Karim Sajjad, chair of the non-profit organisation Mala Kurd. ‘What we do have are the names and identities of 1,840 victims. We were able to identify these people together with the non-profit organisation Hengaw, based on photographs, their place of residence, etc. Today we are showing photographs of 1,540 victims. We cannot show a photograph of every victim, because some are too gruesome. We want to continue this work and keep taking action until we have collected photographs of 2,500 victims.’
Upping diplomatic pressure
The organisations hope their action will persuade the Belgian and European governments to increase diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime.
‘We are pleased that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has finally been placed on the European terror list and that sanctions have been imposed on a number of in the regime who are responsible, but Belgium and the EU must go further,’ Sajjad continues. ‘How is it possible that Belgium only has one embassy with 15 staff in Iran, while Iran has five buildings here with more than 160 staff who are not monitored? How is it possible that an Iranian government official who called for the killing of protesters was able to travel to Belgium undisturbed and move around freely here?’