Thank you for inviting me to speak at this conference. I am sorry I was a bit late. I have been sending the last few days with guest how have come here from the Philippine, Turkey, Chechnya, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Columbia as invited guest to talk about protecting.

Defending human rights defenders. Which is we are here to talk about as well. Any many of the things that we discussed at this conference earlier this week and that where I was earlier today are the kind of things that are just as relevant for the people  working on behalf of the resident of camp Ashraf and the Iranian people.

I want speak on behalf of the women. Because I haven’t heard anybody here talking about the women and I will try not to talk about the things that other people have said. Because before the mullahs came into power in Iran, Iran was a beacon of women’s right, and as I understand if the women of camp Ashraf have kept that flame alive as something to be proud of and something to look forward to at someday in a democratically free Iran.

I am also very pleased to hear the two speakers who come from the country of my origin where I was born and what they had to say.  Because it is not the kind of language that I am accustomed to reading or seeing or hearing to come out of the US these days and so I was very pleased to hear you.

I first heard about camp Ashraf about 10 years ago and I am looking at the mother of the person about it. As a member UK WILPF (women for InternationalLeague for Peace and Freedom) we had a member name Mandan. A young Doctor from Iran who told us about Camp Ashraf. And I was involved and got really concerned about the issues going on around that. So I want to in Part make this speech a tribute to Mandan who really very brave in talking about this and then what I would say a very WILPF way, she sadly died very young.

WILPF is an organization, that was started in 1915 and works on root causes of conflicts and this is something. I am looking at things that effects women, I am looking at ways of preventing conflict of resolving conflicts peacefully. Our secretary general Madelyn Rice, who some of you may have heard of, was previously worked with united nation as gender adviser in the human rights department. And she has spoken out as well many times about camp Ashraf. And got engaged around issues on camp Ashraf.Considering what kind of next steps we can take to be supportive and help with the issues her.

One of the thing that is near and dear to us in WILPF is Security Council resolution 1325 which talks about women in decision making and we also want to honour the brave and charismatic leader of this organization. Miss Maryam Rajavi. We heard about international humanitarian law violation in place with the transfer of resident of camp Ashraf. We have heard that these are internationally protected men and women and they are refugees and that they are protect under the GenevaConvention. We have heard the name camp liberty is really a rather ironic name to what actually is there and what is going on and the situation there.

I would to speak and hope for the days that these people would find a save transfer, while they can  wait for the day, when the can return to a free and democratic Iran. And I want to talk just very briefly about women’s voices, because women like Mrs Rajavi often see resolutions, they often see solutions ways forward that most military don’t see and many men do not see. One of my favourite slogans from my organization is listen to women for a change.

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