Exiled Iranian dissident visits ‘city of peace’ Ypres
Exiled Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi visited Ypres on Friday. She made a speech at city hall, visited the In Flanders Fields Museum and attended the nightly Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate.
Rajavi was invited by Ypres resident and former prime minister Yves Leterme after the two met in Paris, VRT reports.
“The large crowd that came to the city hall shows that she represents what Iranians in exile think about the need for change in their country, the restoration of democracy and an end to executions and terrible persecution,” Leterme said. “She is someone who is greatly appreciated by the Iranian people.”
In her speech, Rajavi – the president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran – praised Ypres for its role in promoting peace. “Ypres is a city whose history still speaks to the world,” she said.
The city was almost totally destroyed during World War I and was one of the first places where chemical warfare was employed. Today it carries the title of “city of peace”, using its history as a symbol to advocate for global peace.
"The world will never forget the sacrifices Ypres made"
Rajavi described it as a city that “through remembrance of brutal battles, total destruction and nameless soldiers lost to deadly mustard gas has become a moral reminder of the cost of war and the value of peace. The world will never forget the sacrifices Ypres made.”
“I think Mrs Rajavi symbolises something we fought for so many years ago: our freedom,” said Ypres mayor Katrien Desomer. “She is now doing the same from Paris, where she lives in exile as president of the movement against the regime in Iran. She stands up for democracy and women’s rights. We are very happy and honoured that Mrs Rajavi visited Ypres today.”
In September, Rajavi made a rare public appearance at a rally in Brussels, with an estimated 10,000 people attending. Protesters urged the European Union to impose tougher sanctions on Tehran and to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
#FlandersNewsService | Maryam Rajavi and Katrien Desomer at the Menin Gate in Ypres © PHOTO MARYAM RAJAVI / X
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