Dominique Attias, French Human Rights Lawyer Honors Iranian Women’s Resistance: “Say No to Executions in Iran”
On April 11, at a conference held at the town hall of Paris’s 5th arrondissement, attended by French mayors, elected officials, and prominent figures, Florence Berthout, the mayor of the 5th arrondissement, announced a statement signed by over 1,000 French mayors. The statement supports the call by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi to end executions in Iran and affirms her firm commitment to abolishing the death penalty.
At this moving ceremony in Paris, Dominique Attias, the President of the European Law Society Federation as of March 2021 and the former Vice-batonniere of Paris from January 2016, who had just been awarded the Legion of Honour, delivered a passionate speech in support of Iranian women and the resistance against the clerical regime.
“Madam Mayor, I thank you for hosting this event and for your commitment to the core values that are the foundation of any democratic system,” said Attias.
She praised the Committee of Mayors and its members across France:
“Please tell all the mayors: Bravo. Bravo to the women and men who proudly proclaimed, ‘No to executions in Iran.’”
She described them as the most beloved politicians—those connected to the ground realities and not misled by the political theatrics of Iran’s murderous regime.
Iran’s Execution Machine and the Silencing of Women
“France should be proud to host the Iranian Resistance on its soil,” Attias asserted. “The regime tries to portray the opposition as terrorists, but the people are not fooled.”
She reminded the audience that the event was held near the Panthéon, where the remains of Robert Badinter, the French Minister of Justice who abolished the death penalty in 1981, would soon be laid to rest.
“Badinter fought against the death penalty until his final breath. Today, the Iranian regime has turned brutality and fear into daily life—especially for women, but truly for all under the rule of this religious dictatorship.”
A Judiciary Without Justice
Quoting Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, she emphasized: “The regime uses fear to silence protest. Public executions—carried out in front of families and children—have become routine.”
She continued: “Torture, stoning, amputations, and even gouging out eyes have been institutionalized. There is no justice. There are no defense lawyers. Trials last five minutes. The fate of the accused is predetermined.”
Each day brings new hangings and arbitrary executions — a horrific continuation of what happened in 1988.
Iran’s 1988 Massacre: A Genocide Still Seeking Justice
Attias recalled the 1988 massacre:
“Thirty thousand people were hanged—women, many of them pregnant, men, students—all arrested and tried within minutes. To this day, their bodies have never been returned to their families.”
She admitted:
“I only learned of this in 2016, thanks to Mayor Jean-François Legaret of Paris’s 1st district, who, in collaboration with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, held a powerful exhibition at City Hall.”
Unshakable Support for Iranian Women
“Since that day, my support for the brave Iranian opposition has been total and unwavering,” she declared.
“I offer unconditional support to the women who are executed so cruelly, and to the children under 18 who are killed for minor offenses in blatant violation of international law, as the UN Human Rights Council has also noted.”
She continued passionately:
“This regime truly believes it can break the spirit of the Iranian people. It is wrong. These women—some awaiting execution—refuse to be silenced. Every Tuesday, across Iran’s prisons, they go on hunger strike to protest these inhumane executions.”
Global Women’s Movement Must Stand with Iran
“Yes, we are witnessing crimes against humanity,” Attias stated, “as confirmed by the United Nations. These executions must end—just as the European Parliament has demanded.”
“To all French mayors,” she concluded, “you are our pride. You have joined the fight against the death penalty and shouted with clarity: ‘No to executions in Iran.’
Thank you. Long live a free Iran. Long live Iranian women. Long live the people of Iran.”
