Ali Afshari, Democracy Activist, Iran

Bio: Ali Afshari is a leading political activist from Iran who has championed the cause of democracy for over a decade. Beginning with his involvement in 1995 with the Islamic Student Association (ISA) at Amir Kabir University, of which he was secretary for three years, Mr. Afshari organized numerous protests and demonstrations against the Iranian government's repressive and often violent measures directed against reformist students and intellectuals. Through his work with the ISA's Office to Foster Unity, he helped to mobilize Iranian civil society to vote for reform-minded candidates in the historic 1998 city council elections, the first such elections in Iranian history. In addition, he published over 20 essays and delivered more than 100 speeches on topics relating to democracy and human rights in Iran.

As a result of his activism, Ali was forced to spend more than three years in jail, including 400 days in solitary confinement, 328 of which were consecutive. Yet in spite of this, Mr. Afshari remained steadfast in his commitment to the cause of democracy and human rights in Iran. After his first jail term, during which he was tortured and forced to give a videotaped confession for the crime of "attempting to overthrow the regime," he called a news conference to speak out against the abuse he suffered and to apologize to his supporters for his forced confession. In 2005, after yet another extended prison sentence, Mr. Afshari was one of the signatories and organizers of a call for a referendum on the constitution of Iran, advocating for fundamental changes in the country's political structure. Even in the face of the most recent sentence handed to him-six years in jail when he returns to Iran-Mr. Afshari refuses to cease his advocacy or compromise his principles.

Due to this extraordinary courage and dedication, Mr. Afshari has established himself as one of the most respected young leaders of the democracy movement in Iran. Currently a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., Mr. Afshari is drawing upon his experience as an opposition activist to assess the major factors contributing to the lack of democracy in Iran. Ali was recently honored by Human Rights Watch with an award for writers and journalists "in recognition of the courage with which they face political persecution."

Remarks: Freedom is the greatest humanitarian value. But freedom is not something that is given to us; it is something mankind must constantly work for and never take for granted.

I am from Iran, a place where there is a serious and ongoing struggle for freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. The current despotic regime persecutes students, political dissidents, intellectuals, and women who strive and fight for these freedoms. Yet despite the regime's cruel and unjust policy of suppressing democracy and violating human rights, the Iranian people will not give up their fight against dictatorship and totalitarianism, regardless of how difficult and how arduous this struggle may be.

If one wishes to see an example of the courage and persistence of the democracy movement inside Iran, one should look at the Iranian student movement. The student movement is the main pillar of Iranian civil society and is the primary engine for promoting democracy and human rights. Because of this, Iranian student activists are imprisoned, tortured, exiled, and in some cases, even killed. Still, in the face of these threats and intimidations, the student movement continues to speak out against Iran's undemocratic regime and continues to advocate for democracy and human rights.

I am honored to have a chance to be here and speak in the presence of an esteemed and inspiring individual like Václav Havel. I truly believe that democratic values and freedoms can be furthered throughout this world if we can continue to have meetings like this where dissidents from all across the globe can come together to learn from each other, to share their experiences, and most importantly, to let one another know they are not alone in their struggle for freedom and democracy.