A Gathering of Freedom: Uniting Iranians Against Dictatorship

• What an extraordinary day! A day brimming with hope and determination, resonating with the incredible spirit of resilience.
• What an exceptional world conference! I was profoundly moved by the principles upheld by this movement.
• Rajavi stands as a staunch opposition to the misogyny of the Iranian regime!
• A compelling and exhilarating conference that inspires. No movement can prevail without a remarkable leader.
• The regime’s greatest falsehood is its claim that there is no alternative. However, persistent, and resilient resistance exists, such as the National Council of Resistance and the Mojahedin.
• The mullahs’ regime’s demonization of the People’s Mojahedin has failed. They have spread lies.
• If the American government enters into a new agreement with this regime, another election will take place in America next year, and naturally, this agreement will be doomed to failure.
• Change is attainable in Iran.
• Taking risks to achieve freedom and human rights is crucial. Nothing is impossible for a courageous soul.
• My heart shatters when I hear the cries and voices of girls and women fighting for freedom.
• We have gathered here with great aspirations.
• Dictators may rise, but they always fall.

Each of these statements embodies the essence of the Iranian resistance in the “Onward to a Democratic Republic of Iran Conference.” They are powerful expressions articulated by political, legal, cultural, and literary figures.

This collection of concise phrases should be acknowledged as a testament to the resilience and determination of the Iranian people, as demonstrated through their resistance and protests in 2022 following the tragic killing of Mahsa Amini by the regime’s morality police. Within these expressions, the rich history of a steadfast resistance, its internal and global significance, and its embodiment of human values and visionary ideals come to fruition.

The 2023 gathering of the Iranian Resistance in Paris served as the culmination of numerous political and strategic accomplishments achieved through a prolonged struggle against the oppressive mullahs’ dictatorship.

During this remarkable event, which encompassed grand demonstrations and conferences featuring diverse personalities, the most significant political, social, and organizational achievements of the strategic and pivotal resistance movement to free Iran were comprehensively assessed. This momentous and influential gathering, following the uprising of 2022, delineated the path towards the realization of a free and democratic Iran, while also emphasizing the urgent responsibilities of Iranians in responding to the prevailing circumstances.

One significant facet of this gathering was the substantial presence of freedom-seeking Iranians, staunchly emphasizing the unequivocal rejection of any form of dictatorship. Additionally, the speeches delivered by various personalities served as a concise encapsulation of the historical trajectory of the resistance movement, highlighting the current state of the political power dynamics between the resistance and the mullahs’ regime. It was evident that Iran stood on the precipice of an imminent transformation and change, with the balance of political forces tilting towards an inevitable shift in the country.

1. 48th Vice President of the United States Mike Pence: “While the regime has never been weaker, the Resistance movement has never been stronger. Resistance Units in Iran are the wellspring of hope for the Iranian people. They’re the engine for change from within during uprisings and continued protests. And every day, they gain strength while the regime withers. With MEK’s leadership, teachers, workers, retirees have courageously taken to the streets.

One of the biggest lies the ruling regime has sold to the world is that there’s no alternative to the status quo of tyranny and repression in Iran. But there is an alternative, a well-organized, fully prepared, perfectly qualified, popularly supported alternative called the MEK. And thank you Maryam Rajavi for your outstanding leadership and personal courage. You’re an inspiration to the world.

The 10-Point Plan for the future of Iran will ensure freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the freedom of every Iranian to choose their elected leaders just last month. I was proud to join a group of more than 100 former world leaders calling on President Joe Biden and leaders of the European Union to join us in supporting the Iranian Resistance and specifically Mariam Rajavi’s 10-Point Plan.

2. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “I must say, as I watch these protesters, as I see the people in the streets of Paris today, as I see all of you in this room, I have enormous hope. I believe that the movement we’re seeing led by all of you is clearly different than what we’ve seen in the past. These uprisings have been led by women and spearheaded by Iranian youth. They’re not calling for reform. They’re calling for freedom, something that is deeply consistent with Iranian history.”
3. Liz Truss, British Prime Minister, and Leader of the Conservative Party (2022): “There are three things we should be specifically doing with respect to Iran. Make that very clear to their regime. First of all, Iran must not get nuclear weapons. The second thing is we must back the brave women of Iran. It’s hugely inspiring to see women under threat for their lives, for their futures, freedom, prepared to demonstrate against the appalling regime, and the human rights abuses they’re subject to, and we must back them in that fight and do what we can to support.

And we must also work together as free democracies to stop the use of hostage taking and stop unfair detention taking place.”

4. John Bolton, Former US National Security Advisor: “Demonstrations over the past ten months are obviously not about a dress code. They are a direct ideological threat to the fundamental legitimacy of the regime itself. Combined with all of the other factors, including the work of the NCRI over the years, this has brought us to a position that the regime is so vulnerable. For all the people in the West and outside who say the MEK and the NCRI are so irrelevant, and they’re not popular inside Iran, and they don’t really matter: If they’re so irrelevant, why is the government in Tehran absolutely consumed with the need to suppress the MEK and NCRI and not allow their voices to be heard?
5. Janez Janša, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia (2020-2022): “Change in Iran is inevitable because the people of Iran do not want this regime. They have shown that they reject all forms of dictatorship and tyranny. The 10-Point Plan of Mrs. Rajavi deserves our support. I will remain committed and engaged on this pressing issue. You can count on my support. I extend my gratitude to all of you for your commitment to the cause for a free Iran.”
6. Raul Ruiz, Member of the US House of Representatives (2013-present): “As a husband and father, it truly breaks my heart to hear the stories of women and girls who are attacked for wanting equal rights and to see what the people of Iran have to go through just to be heard and recognized. For decades, Iranians have been battling with their government to become a democracy to respect their basic human rights. After years of repression, the Iranian people saw this fight catch fire again last year.”
7. Lance Gooden, Member of the US House of Representatives (2019-Present): “We believe in a free Iran. We believe in the 10-Point Plan by you, Madam Rajavi. Thank you for your leadership. And we are so pleased to be here and that this event happened. The MEK is very important and is the leader of the resistance and it’s because of this obsession that Tehran has with them that gives them so much credibility.”
8. Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy (2018-2021): “I’m impressed by the patience of the Iranian people to work hard over decades to implement democracy in Iran. The 10-Point Plan of Mrs. Rajavi is a universal declaration of the basic values of individual freedom and democracy. This 10-Point Plan has to play a key role in the efforts of the Iranian people.”
9. John Bercow, Speaker of the UK House of Commons (2009-2019): “There is, of course, an alternative. There is an alternative of over 40 years preparation that is well organized, that is soundly structured, that is adequately resourced, that is conceptually coherent and is led and is led with indefatigability, with indestructibility and with inexhaustibility by Madam Rajavi.”
10. General James Jones, former US National Security Adviser—The 14th Supreme Allied Commander Europe: “The courageous NCRI affiliated Resistant Units within Iran continue to keep the fires for a better and freer nation burning brightly by risking their lives and safety against overwhelming odds. These protests serve as a vivid testament to the aspirations of the Iranian people, yearning for a society founded on democratic principles and inclusive governance. Madam Rajavi’s 10-Point Plan, which mirrors the democratic values cherished by the international community and which Americans recognize as being truly Jeffersonian stands as a beacon of hope.”
11. Former French Minister of Foreign Affairs Michèle Alliot Marie: “I wanted to express my gratitude for your courageous actions for such a long time. You represent universal values that everyone deserves. Since I knew Maryam Rajavi, I’ve never seen your engagement for freedom and democracy diminish. Your narrative has never changed. Your activity has never diminished. Your determination has not changed.”
12. Senator Giulio Terzi, former Foreign Minister of Italy: “The majority of Italian legislators have signed the document that is clear in the staunch support for the Ten-Point Plan of Madam Rajavi, the blacklisting of the IRGC, and the commitment to pursue the promotion of freedom and justice and human rights in Iran.”
13. Anna Firth, British MP: “But today I stand here with great hope, because today, Saturday, the 1st of July 2023, is the day that 3600 parliamentarians from 40 countries have come together to sign a new world policy on Iran. Through signing a statement in favor of a secular Democratic Republic in Iran and offering our full support to Madam Rajavi and her 10-point plan.”
14. David Jones, British MP: “The obsessive, unwavering focus by the regime on the PMOI simply serves to highlight the PMOI’s effectiveness in countering the regime’s authority and exposing its vulnerabilities. The remarkable sustained growth of the PMOI networks within Iranian society is an undeniable fact. The regime knows that the PMOI has the strengths of unity, a well-organized structure, and the ability to mobilize nationwide protests. And it knows also. That the PMOI is the only organization with a clear alternative plan for Iran. And that is why the regime is trying every trick in the book to eliminate the formidable opposition that is the PMOI.”
15. Senator Joseph Lieberman, Former Member of the Senate; U.S. Vice-Presidential Nominee in 2000: “There is no doubt that the tide of history is moving in Iran toward freedom, toward the Resistance, toward the NCRI and the MEK, and against the tyranny of the mullahs in Iran. The corrupt, self-serving, extreme, repressive, aggressive, terrorist-supporting tyranny in Tehran. You in the NCRI and the MEK and the resistance fighters in Tehran frighten them more than any government in the world, including powerful governments like my own and European. Why? Because you represent the people of Iran and are the most immediate threat to the survival of this regime. That is why they spend so much money attacking the NCRI and the MEK money that would be much better spent to improve the quality of life of the people in Iran.”
16. General Wesley Clark, the 12th Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; U.S. Presidential Candidate 2004: “For over 40 years, this brutal Iranian regime has sought enemies abroad and at home. It survives on fear, hatred, and repression. Enough is enough.

The men and women of MEK have fought against the tyrannical regime of the ayatollahs in Tehran. You’ve struggled daily to protest, to mobilize, to gather information, to gain international understanding and to bring freedom and democratic values to Iran.

I’m so impressed by the strength of the Resistance movement. You are exposing the regime for its brutal repression. You are winning the support of more and more people within Iran. And you are striking fear in the hearts of those who perpetrate the terror in Iran. And I do believe we will be in Tehran next year.”

17. Ingrid Betancourt, Former Senator, and Presidential Candidate in 2022: “But new generations have also joined you, especially brave young women. Their fight is not just about women. It’s about human dignity for man and women alike. And all these new generations are fighting for the 10-Point Plan, for a secular, democratic, and non-nuclear Iran. They have embraced it all over Iran and outside Iran too.”