One year ago, a young woman peacefully marched the street, protesting against the oppressive regime in her country: Iran. Suddenly, blood filled her mouth and silenced her voice, and the world became eye witness to the brutalities committed by the Iranian regime. The clips and images went around the world, and no one can claim not knowing what really happens in Iran.

One year ago, a young woman was voicing criticism against her government; it got her elected to the European Parliament. That woman was me. Neda represents the Iranian people, the young generation, and constantly reminds me that we can not be bystanders while the Iranian regime silences, tortures, rapes and kills its youth. Europe and Iran, two worlds apart, but through Facebook, Twitter and the internet, the current generation is connected. ´Internet is our oxygen´, an Iranian dissident, who has fled Iran to Turkey, told me when we met in a remote city along the Iranian-Turkish border.

Iran is high on the agenda in the international community. The United Nations Security Council recently adopted a new round of sanctions. The United States and Europe announced they would implement their own sanctions on top of those by the UN. Although the previous rounds of sanctions have not rendered the desired result of changing the nuclear course of the regime, the threat to security posed by Iran deserves attention.

At least as important is global attention for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people. The relationship between focus on sanctions and human rights risks to become a zero sum game. However, security and values may be more related than initially meets the eye. Empowering the population may well lead to bottom up change. After all, any government derives its legitimacy by providing for the well being of its own citizens. Only then, can Iran be a credible player in the international community. The level of violence used to oppress the opposition is a clear indicator of what, or rather who, the regime fears most: those who want liberty in Iran. We need a comprehensive approach to Iran.

Not often does the United States lift sanctions on Iran. Recently it did so, in order to allow for communication technologies, and instant messaging software, to reach Iranians, allowing for more untraceable communications. A free flow of uncensored or unfiltered information is crucial for the people in opposition to the regime to talk to each other. It is also crucial for uncensored information to reach Iranian people, and for video clips like that of Neda to be seen by the rest of the world. For that, the virtual or online isolation of Iran needs to be broken, just as much as the resistance to cooperate with the international community needs to be broken.

Neda has become an icon, a symbol of injustice. But there are many unknown heroes, people who resist oppression in their own way; people who die anonymously as a result of torture or execution. Their stories need to be told, heard and lead to action. Neda´s fame is a tragic reminder of the responsibility we have not to be bystanders. Let us prevent Neda from becoming a permanent symbol of impunity, so she did not die in vain. Documenting the systematic human rights abuses and seeking international justice should never be pushed to the background. There are countless Iranians like Neda, and I hope they will never have to become famous the way she did.

The author is a Member of European Parliament for D66/ALDE group. She works on Iran, as well as on human rights issues for the Europeal liberals.

Marietje Schaake

Marietje Schaake

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