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| Said Azizi, the spokesperson for the "Democratic Union of Azerbaijan" |
A conference titled "The Future of Ethnic Communities in Iran" was recently held at the European Parliament in Brussels. Said Azizi, the spokesperson for the "Democratic Union of Azerbaijan," attended the event and gave an interview to VOA Persian.
According to Azizi, the event was attended by organizations representing Iran’s Turk, Arab, Kurd, Baloch, and Turkmen communities, where support was expressed for establishing a federal government system as a solution for Iran's future.
Azizi emphasized that all participants in the conference voiced supportive views regarding a federal alternative for Iran’s future.
Azizi praised Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi’s participation in an event focusing on Iran's ethnic communities as highly positive:
“Ms. Shirin Ebadi explicitly highlighted in her speech that Iran is composed of multiple nations, and these nations must have equal rights. It is wrong to label those demanding their rights as separatists. They are not separatists; they are simply asking for their rights.”
He added that Ebadi’s remarks reflect significant progress:
“When we assess Iranian society, political organizations, and media, we see considerable changes over the past five years. Previously, discussing federalism, advocating for the rights of nations, or acknowledging Iran as a multi-national country were taboos and considered acts of separatism. Now, these taboos are gradually being broken,” Said Azizi stated.
According to the Azerbaijani activist, “The uprising of nations in Iran also served as a warning to the opposition to address their disorganization and weakness. Increased collaboration with these groups is expected, as it has become evident that the nations within Iran will play a decisive role in resolving these issues. Without addressing their demands, a smooth transition from the Islamic Republic to democracy will not occur.”
Azizi underscored his organization’s commitment to promoting the idea of federalism in Iran’s political sphere:
“Our entire effort is to instill the concept of federalism in Iran, as it is the idea that can save Iran. This is the essential solution to the country’s political crisis and future challenges.”
Referring to the nationwide protests in Iran last November, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of citizens, Azizi added:
“Iranian opposition groups have realized that the events didn’t start in Tehran and end there. They began in Ahvaz. Deaths and arrests have occurred in Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmen-Sahra, and Baluchistan. Even in some Persian cities, many of those killed were Turks...”
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Səid Əzizi: İran üçün yeganə çözüm yolu federalizmdir