Statement No. 2
Azerbaijan Democracy and Development Association (ODJAQ)
The Situation Following the Iran–Israel Ceasefire
Following days of devastating conflict and military strikes between Iran and Israel, which reached a dangerous stage with the direct involvement of the United States, the recently announced ceasefire presents a rare opportunity to pause the violence and prevent further catastrophe.
The Azerbaijan Democracy and Development Association (ODJAQ) welcomes the cessation of hostilities and stresses the importance of consolidating this ceasefire. However, we emphasize that this must serve as an opportunity to end the crisis, not to rebuild the machinery of repression.
Despite the heavy losses inflicted upon the country, the ceasefire offers a crucial chance to reassess the course taken by Iran’s political system. For four decades, the Islamic Republic has pursued an ideological and confrontational approach toward the world, spending a vast portion of the country’s material and human resources on costly projects such as nuclear programs and support for regional armed groups. These programs were founded under the slogan of “destroying Israel,” but in practice, they have not only deprived the Iranian people of prosperity and freedom, but have also failed to achieve their declared goals.
Before the outbreak of this war, Iran was already facing deep-rooted crises; widespread poverty, uncontrollable inflation, severe water shortages, energy problems, mass emigration, and the systematic suppression of civil liberties. The government’s inability to defend the country effectively now stands as further evidence of its chronic mismanagement and inefficiency. A regime that has failed not only to provide for the people’s livelihood and freedom but even to maintain the basic elements of national security.
We therefore call on the ruling establishment to take responsibility for the current situation and, in recognition of its total failure, to surrender to the will of the people. The ceasefire must become a prelude to lasting peace with the world and to fundamental transformation within the country.
The government must begin by releasing political prisoners, reopening the political sphere, and holding a free and transparent referendum to prepare the ground for a gradual transition toward a non-ideological, democratic, and just system. Such a transition would secure the path to democracy and development and prevent the country from descending into political and social collapse.
We warn that the Iranian people’s collective condemnation of foreign aggression must not be mistaken for support of the current regime. Any attempt to exploit the ceasefire to intensify police repression, limit freedom of expression, silence critics, or strengthen authoritarian structures will not only fail but will provoke further instability within the country.
The peoples of Iran, exhausted by war, poverty, repression and injustice, deserve a future that is free, safe, and humane.
We firmly believe that a free, developed, and just future for Iran can only be achieved under a federal, secular, and democratic republic. A system in which all ethnic, religious, and gender identities enjoy equal rights and fair opportunities for political, cultural, and economic participation within a framework governed by the rule of law.
We call on all peoples and nationalities of Iran to participate consciously and unitedly in this path toward freedom and democracy.
Azerbaijan Democracy and Development Association (ODJAQ)
24 June 2025
