The following press release was issued by the Central Executive Council of CODIR, a long-time affiliate of Liberation, following its meeting on Thursday 1 August 2024:
Leading UK solidarity organisation, the Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR), has expressed shock and concern at the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas. Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran at around 2am (local time) on Wednesday 31 July, just hours after attending the presidential inauguration ceremony of Massoud Pezeshkian.
Fears of an escalation of tension and wider conflict in the region were already growing and concerns for the lives of Iranians imprisoned for political activity, opposed to the policies of the regime, are an issue which CODIR is keen to highlight.
Concerns that the killing of Haniyeh, shortly after Israel claimed to have killed a senior military commander of Hezbollah in Beirut, will exacerbate the crisis in the region, were expressed by CODIR’s General Secretary, Gawain Little, today.
“There is a real danger that these political assassinations are bringing the region to the brink of an extremely dangerous and widespread military conflict,” said Mr. Little. “Any further escalation will impact upon the lives of ordinary Iranians and threaten those already imprisoned for opposing the regime. We will work with partner organisations in the peace and labour movements to make sure that the voices of those calling for peace and an end to human rights abuses are heard.”
The dangers of further escalation were underlined by a message released by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, shortly after the assassination stating that Israel “by assassinating Ismail Haniyeh, has paved the way for a severe punishment” and added that “we consider it our duty to avenge his blood, shed in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The action to assassinate Haniyeh is regarded as all the more baffling as he was Hamas’ chief peace negotiator in what were widely regarded as hopeful ceasefire talks, mediated through the state of Qatar. The Qatari prime minister, who played a key role in peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas, expressed his view of the assassination, saying, “how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?”
CODIR has long taken the view that war in the Middle East is not in the interests of the region or the people of Iran and has the potential to threaten world peace.
CODIR calls upon its affiliates and all in the wider peace and labour movements to both condemn the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, as a contravention of international law, but also to put pressure upon the UK government not to support any steps which will lead to further bloodshed in the region.
ENDS
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The Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR) is a solidarity organisation established in 1981 by British labour and trade union activists working with Iranian democrats residing in the UK and a long-time affiliate and working partner of Liberation.
Ever since its founding, CODIR has has consistently campaigned to raise awareness of the situation inside the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly – though not exclusively – pertaining to the country’s labour and trade union movement. Throughout its existence, it has worked closely with the trade union movement in the UK, the peace movement, representatives from the main political parties, and Amnesty International to press the case for an end to the human rights abuses perpetrated in Iran. Several of the major trade unions in Britain are affiliated to CODIR and support its campaign for peace, human and democratic rights, and social justice in Iran.
CODIR has published Iran Today, its quarterly journal, since 1981, explaining the latest developments in Iran and the most effective way that the British public opinion could demonstrate its solidarity with the people of Iran.
In recent years, CODIR has also worked closely with Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and has been consistently vocal against any form of foreign intervention in the internal and sovereign affairs of Iran.
Visit CODIR’s website at www.codir.net
Follow CODIR on X, formerly Twitter, under the @CODIRInfo handle.
