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Draft:National Union for Democracy in Iran

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The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) (Persian, اتحادیه ملی برای دموکراسی در ایران) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan Iranian-American civic[1] organization based in Washington, DC. The organization relaunched public activities in early 2020 announcing new staff. The group is focused on promoting[2] human rights and democracy in Iran.

Background

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NUFDI was founded in the early 2000s by Iranian-American activists and professionals opposed[3] to the current regime in Iran. The organization actively opposed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and favored a more comprehensive American policy approach to Iran focused on the promotion of human rights. It has been critical[4] of the influence of other similar interest groups in Washington including the MEK.

Boycott of EU-Iran Business Forum

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In December 2020 after the Islamic Republic executed journalist Ruhollah Zam, NUFDI launched a virtual campaign to #BoycottEuropeIranBusinessForum[5] which was being hosted jointly by the European Union and the Iranian government. As activists, think tanks, journalists[6], and others joined the campaign urging participants to boycott the conference in solidarity with political prisoners in Iran, the organizers of the conference canceled it due to the mounting pressure of the campaign.

Opposition of Rob Malley

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In January 2021 NUFDI launched a public campaign[7] against President Joe Biden's selection for the position of US Special Envoy to Iran, Robert Malley. The campaign started with an open letter, broken by Bloomberg,[8] by twelve former American hostages in Iran and Iranian human rights activists. The opposition to Malley's selection became one of the earliest challenges to a Biden staffing appointment, with NUFDI's campaign being covered widely[9] in the political press.

Several media outlets, including The Washington Post,[10] dismissed NUFDI's concerns about Malley's human rights record as political motivated and his appointment was cemented. NUFDI was also attacked[11] by Iranian press outlets close to the Islamic Republic for its opposition to Malley.

Public Engagement

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NUFDI has hosted numerous public engagement forums aimed at connecting American media, elected officials, and the public with Iranian activists. In response to the Council on Foreign Relations' hosting of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif after the execution of Navid Afkari, NUFDI hosted New York Times columnist Brett Stephens[12] along with leading activists inside from within Iran, Fatemeh Sepehri and former political prisoner Ahmad Batebi.

The group has also hosted former US Special Envoy to Iran Brian Hook[13] and frequently appears in Western media to comment[14] on the human rights situation in Iran. In August 2021, the group wrote a highly-publicized letter[15] to US President Joe Biden urging him to use the Iranian government's frozen funds to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Iranians and reported[16] that it had been ignored by the State Department despite multiple attempts to meet with its representatives. After the letter, the group secured a meeting with the US State Department.

Mike Pompeo Forum

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In September 2021, NUFDI hosted former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a fireside chat on Iran. This was one week after Pompeo had appeared in an event with the controversial exile group MEK which caused much controversy among Iranians and Iranian-Americans for criticizing the former Shah of Iran. In his conversation with NUFDI, Pompeo reiterated[17] his long-held policy that the future form[18] of government in Iran after the fall of the Islamic Republic, whether a republic or monarchy, will be decided by the Iranian people.

Raisi Lawsuit

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In September 2022, the group announced[19] a federal, civil lawsuit against Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The group announced the lawsuit,[20] with plaintiffs including former hostages and Iranian dissidents, at a press conference in New York City the day before Raisi addressed the United Nations General Assembly. The suit accused[21] the Iranian president of torture over the course of his decades of government service.

References

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  1. ^ "Iran's Absentee Voting Events at US Hotels Raise Sanctions, Ethics Questions". VOA. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  2. ^ "Iran dissidents file new lawsuit against Raisi in US". France 24. 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  3. ^ Iran, NUFDI (September 19, 2021). "A Letter to the Honorable President Donald J. Trump".
  4. ^ ALEX; Ward, Er; Forgey, Quint (29 October 2021). "Pence spoke at an Iranian extremist-backed conference". POLITICO. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  5. ^ "https://twitter.com/hashtag/boycotteuropeiranbusinessforum?src=hashtag_click". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-09-28. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  6. ^ "WSJ, Bloomberg staff under fire for speaking at Iran forum after reporter's killing". Al Arabiya English. 2020-12-13. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  7. ^ "Biden's Choice Of Iran Special Representative Sparks Opposition". Iran International. 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  8. ^ "Biden's First Foreign Policy Blunder Could be on Iran". Bloomberg. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  9. ^ Kelly, Laura (2021-01-31). "Biden faces deadline pressure on Iran deal". The Hill. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  10. ^ Rezaian, Jason (January 29, 2021). "Biden's pick for Iran envoy is a pro. Deal with it". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  11. ^ "A fake carrot to Iran". Tehran Times. 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  12. ^ The Truth From the People of Iran, retrieved 2022-09-28
  13. ^ Iran Human Rights: Why it Matters for US Policy, retrieved 2022-09-28
  14. ^ "Activists accuse Iran of responsibility for Rushdie attack". France 24. 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  15. ^ "US-Based Group Urges Un-Freezing Iranian Money To Fund Covid Vaccines". Iran International. 2021-08-14. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  16. ^ "State Dept Refuses to Meet with Iranian-American Regime Opponents". Washington Free Beacon. 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  17. ^ لندن, کیهان; لندن, کیهان. "مایک پمپئو در گفتگو با «نوفدی»: انتخاب مردم ایران برای حکومت پادشاهی یا جمهوری قابل احترام و حمایت است" (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  18. ^ "https://twitter.com/iranintl/status/1443067685655482368". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-09-28. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  19. ^ "Plainte d'Iraniens aux États-Unis contre le président Raïssi". LEFIGARO (in French). 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  20. ^ "Iran dissidents file new lawsuit against Raisi in US". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  21. ^ "Iran dissidents file new lawsuit against Raisi in US". MSN. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
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