mr president a crucial change has taken place in iran
our first conclusions therefore should be that iran is not and will not be the same again
it is because millions of iranians have refused to be hostages of their clerical rulers
they have demonstrated an amazing courage in challenging the dictatorship
the issue therefore is not about rigging so-called elections more than usual
this time blatantly rigged votes provided an outlet for a popular protest the experts outside iran could not or were not willing to expect
this reminds me of the situation twenty years ago in eastern europe while the western governments were prepared for a long-term accommodation and pragmatic coexistence with the soviet totalitarian system suddenly millions of hostages of the communist regime became active they challenged the system which was brought to a sudden end
therefore it is important to realise that the european approach to iran cannot remain the same just turning a blind eye to routinely rigged elections and systematic repression
it is estimated that during thirty years of dictatorship more than five million people have been imprisoned more than two hundred zero tortured to death and recently more than two hundred killed
the eu governments have been too hesitant in condemning these atrocious crimes and to make the regime bear responsibility for its behaviour
if we are serious about protecting the rights of iranian citizens we need to be prepared to cause the dictators real pain
what does this mean
we should for example ban any of the leaders of the regime from travelling to the eu we should recall our ambassadors from iran as a gesture of our indignation and free elections can take place in iran only under un supervision
