{mosimage}Lord Russell-Johnston, a defender of human rights and the Iranian people's Resistance, tragically passed away in Paris on Sunday, 27 July, on the eve of his 76th birthday.
Lord Russell-Johnston's death comes as a great shock to all us who had the privilege of speaking alongside him in the various parliamentary meetings and rallies he attended in defence of the Iranian Resistance.
Our condolences go out to his family, friends and all his colleagues in the Houses of Parliament and the Council of Europe.
Lord Russell-Johnston had been a staunch champion of the Iranian Resistance since the early 1980s and strived to contribute to a peaceful, free and democratic future Iran. He was always in the frontline of the Iranian Resistance's international activities, and most recently addressed 70,000 Iranians in Paris on 28 June and a special meeting in the European Parliament, calling on the EU to lift the unlawful ban on the PMOI.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, offered her sincere condolences to Lord Russell-Johnston's relatives and colleagues in Europe's various Parliaments..
We are proud to have had him as an avid and active member of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom. Among Lord Russell-Johnston's very many contributions to the cause of freedom in Iran, he was among 35 cross-party Parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament, who won a legal challenge at the Court of Appeal to have the "perverse" ban on the PMOI lifted here in the UK.
Though we are today deeply saddened by his passing, Lord Russell-Johnston's commitment to freedom will always be remembered by the Iranian people.
British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom
29 July 2008