Final statement of “Women, Life, Freedom” conference in Frankfurt

Under the heading “Women Live Freedom Anew,” the final statement of the “Women, Life, Freedom” conference hosted in Frankfurt, Germany, was released today, Sunday, September 7, marking the approach of the third anniversary of the popular uprising that erupted in Eastern Kurdistan and Iran following the death of Kurdish young woman Jina Amini in mid-September 2022 at the hands of Iran’s so-called “morality police” under the pretext of enforcing the hijab.

The conference, organized by the campaign “No to Execution, Yes to Free Life” and the platform “Democratic Iran Today,” stated: "We are a group of activists, researchers, and artists participating in the conference from Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Germany, and other parts of the world. We gathered in Frankfurt on the occasion of the third anniversary of the popular uprising in Iran to reaffirm the values of freedom, social justice, gender equality, and human dignity."

The statement clarified that the conference: "Reminded us that the Jin Jiyan Azadî (Women, Life, Freedom) revolution is not merely a response to the killing of Kurdish young woman Jina Amini by the so-called morality police, but also a culmination of decades of struggle against oppression, discrimination, and tyranny in Iran and the region. Today, despite bloody repression, imprisonment, executions, and exile, this movement remains alive in the memory, resistance, and collective solidarity of the people."

The participants emphasized in their statement the need to acknowledge the pivotal role women play in leading the movement, not only in Iran but across the region, and to strengthen this role. They noted that solidarity among freedom-loving forces in Kurdistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and elsewhere is essential for the continuity of resistance and eventual victory. The statement also stressed that legal accountability and transitional justice for the killed, injured, and political prisoners are an integral part of the revolution’s path.

The statement further insisted that the struggle against the machinery of execution and oppression in the Islamic Republic and other authoritarian regimes in the region must remain a priority for joint activities. It also highlighted the importance of supporting revolutionary art and culture as a language of memory and resistance, expanding their reach more than ever before.

Attention was drawn to a set of future plans, including holding regular online meetings and seminars on justice, advocacy, women’s rights, and civil liberties, launching an international campaign against the death penalty and for the release of political prisoners, and seeking to expand relations with freedom and justice movements worldwide. The statement concluded: "The path of the Jin Jiyan Azadî revolution continues. No repression will silence the voices of women, youth, and peoples calling for freedom and human dignity. Our very presence together is a revolutionary act in itself."

A-H 

ANHA