Pax Christi International Declaration on Iran

Pax Christi International stands in solidarity with the Iranian people and with all those who, through nonviolent means, are demanding dignity, freedom and respect for human rights. This includes women and girls who have opposed draconian laws imposing the death penalty, imprisonment, and other severe punishments to suppress resistance to compulsory veiling. We strongly condemn the violent repression of peaceful demonstrators, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and executions. 

Pax Christi International rejects any form of foreign military intervention, covert action, or externally imposed regime change in Iran.Experience has shown that violence and external coercion only deepen suffering, reinforce repression, and destabilise the wider region. Peace cannot be imposed from outside, nor can it be achieved through war, economic punishment of civilians, or geopolitical bargaining. 

The future of Iran must be determined by Iranians themselves, through inclusive, peaceful, and credible processes. The international community has a responsibility to support, not instrumentalise, popular movements by protecting civilians, facilitating refuge for those at risk, ensuring access to information and communication, and strengthening international accountability for human rights violations. Beyond statements of solidarity and condemnation, Pax Christi International urges European institutions and governments to take concrete, nonviolent action in support of the Iranian people. As broad sanctions have largely lost their effectiveness and often harm civilians, alternative measures are needed, including easing visa procedures and providing safe pathways for activists, human rights defenders, and those facing immediate danger. 

True peace in Iran will not come through force, but through nonviolence, justice, and respect for human dignity. Pax Christi International remains committed to accompanying the Iranian people on this path. 

For this reason, Pax Christi International joins the statement published by LUKE10, which has already been endorsed by faith leaders from around the world. We invite you to read the statement and to encourage your own faith leaders to add their voices in support.

Read the original post at: https://paxchristi.net/pax-christi-international-declaration-on-iran/