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NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi speaks at the 2025 Free Iran World Summit in Rome, Italy on July 31, 2025.
Rome became the epicenter of an international call for freedom on July 31, 2025, as political leaders, diplomats, human rights advocates, and policy experts from across the globe gathered for the third session of the Free Iran World Summit 2025. In a powerful display of solidarity, they condemned Tehran’s escalating wave of executions, denounced decades of crimes against humanity, and underscored the role of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its leading force, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), as the only organized democratic alternative capable of bringing change.
Speaker after speaker praised the Iranian Resistance’s perseverance, the courage of Resistance Units inside Iran, and Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as the definitive roadmap to establish a free, democratic, non-nuclear republic, free of tyranny and religious dictatorship. Calls for justice for victims of executions past and present, including the 1988 massacre and this week’s killing of PMOI heroes Behrouz Hassani and Mehdi Hassani, echoed through the hall, setting a clear message: regime change by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance is inevitable – and the world must stand with them.
Italian Senator and former Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi opened with a tribute to the people of Ashraf 3, calling them “extraordinary” in their commitment to freedom. He strongly condemned the “terrible darkness of 1988,” when “at least 30,000 PMOI members were executed in a single month,” calling it “one of the darkest chapters in Iran’s and humanity’s history.” He noted that these crimes remain unpunished and demanded international action: “It is high time for justice. The regime’s violence against its own people is endless.”
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING:
Right now in Rome
Conference @Maryam_Rajavi with @GiulioTerzi @RudyGiuliani @CharlesMichel @matteorenzi @JamesCleverly @LucioMalan @CarlaHSands @IBetancourtCol Michelle Alliot-Marie, @naike_gruppioni @MarcoScurria Carlo Cottarelli, Stephen Rapp, Linda Chavez… pic.twitter.com/pLJExkxxHF
— Hanif 𝕏 FreeIran (@HanifFreeIran) July 31, 2025
Highlighting the Iranian Resistance as the viable democratic alternative, Terzi urged Europe to abandon appeasement and blacklist the IRGC: “There is a clear alternative to the mullahs, and it is here. The third option means no foreign war, no religious dictatorship, and no appeasement. Change must come from the Iranian people and the Resistance.” He praised Maryam Rajavi’s leadership and revealed that over 4,000 lawmakers worldwide now back the NCRI’s cause, a “global call for freedom.”
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), delivered a powerful keynote calling for “an end to tyranny in Tehran” and reaffirming that regime change must come from the Iranian people and their organized resistance. She honored the memory of two recently executed PMOI members, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, hailing them as “heroes who never bowed to their executioners.” She declared, “Under no circumstances will we ever surrender to this bloodthirsty regime… Iran’s future belongs to freedom, democracy, and the people’s sovereignty.”
Mrs. Rajavi outlined the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan as the only viable democratic alternative to dictatorship, pledging a future without nuclear weapons, executions, compulsory hijab, or religious rule, and based on gender equality, free elections, and peaceful coexistence. She warned that the clerical regime is in its “weakest and most fragile state since taking power”, yet increasingly violent, threatening a repeat of atrocities like the 1988 massacre. Calling for international recognition of Iranians’ right to resist, Rajavi said, “Do not stand with the mullahs. Stand with the people of Iran.”
Today, our country stands on the threshold of a profound transformation.
This change is being shaped by the people of Iran and their resistance—a nationwide movement that, through the highest sacrifices, including 100,000 martyrs, and with a clear roadmap and vision, heralds the… pic.twitter.com/T2l0rLMY6q
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 31, 2025
Charles Michel, former Prime Minister of Belgium and President of the European Council (2019–2024) delivered an emotional tribute to the Iranian Resistance, describing its courage as an inspiration to democrats worldwide. “Your courage, your energy, your resilience inspire all of us,” he said, noting that decades of oppression had failed to silence the Iranian people. “From the streets of Tehran to Ashraf 3, a powerful voice rises again and again, refusing to be silenced.”
Michel rejected the regime’s narrative that the opposition lacks legitimacy: “They keep saying you are not organized. They keep saying you are not credible. But their relentless obsession to oppress and target you shows the exact opposite. You are organized, you are credible, and you strongly represent the people of Iran.”
He praised the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan as a blueprint for democracy, stressing that it offers “freedom of belief, gender equality, rule of law, and a nuclear-free Iran living in peace with its neighbors.” Michel concluded with a rallying cry: “There is a democratic alternative. The only way forward is to support the Iranian people and their organized Resistance. Let’s choose Free Iran.”
Rome. Former European Council President and former Prime minister of Belgium @CharlesMichel in international conference of Free Iran with Maryam Rajavi pic.twitter.com/OrXQXq72j5
— Firouz Mahvi (@FirouzMahvi) July 31, 2025
Michèle Alliot-Marie, former French Minister of Interior, Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Justice, reminded the summit that she had warned more than a decade ago about the dangers of a non-democratic Iran pursuing nuclear weapons. “The danger,” she said, “is not the technology itself but that it is in the hands of an aggressive, theocratic dictatorship.”
She highlighted Tehran’s repeated violations of international commitments: “We know that in no domain has the government of the mullahs respected its commitments—not in nuclear matters, not in terrorism, not in human rights.” She urged democratic nations to abandon illusions about reform and act coherently: “No foreign military intervention can solve a political problem, but neither can complacency. Only the Iranian people can decide their future through free elections, and Maryam Rajavi carries that project with clarity and courage.”
Alliot-Marie underscored that the NCRI’s platform embodies universal democratic values, adding: “Your plan is grounded in freedom, equality, and the end of repression. We must help you build this path.”
We are present at the Free Iran Conference in Italy – standing with the Iranian people for freedom, democracy, and regime change! ✊#FreeIran10PointPlan #NCRIAlternative #No2ShahNo2Mullahs pic.twitter.com/3IRFYtDFZv
— Forum of Youth for a Democratic Republic in Iran (@YouthforIran_) July 31, 2025
Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, spoke of his long relationship with the PMOI, recalling the “dark days” when Ashraf residents were under constant threat of massacre in Iraq. “We didn’t know how many people they were going to kill in Ashraf night after night. People shouldn’t have to make such decisions—whether to move to avoid slaughter or stay and face death,” he said, paying tribute to their courage.
Giuliani described the Iranian regime as “one of the bloodiest tyrannies in modern history, killing its own people by the tens of thousands,” and criticized attempts to restore monarchy as an alternative. He lambasted Reza Pahlavi as “a man who has never worked a day in his life, who lived off the money stolen from the Iranian people while they starved and died in prisons,” adding that such a figure “cannot be the future of Iran.”
He hailed the PMOI/MEK as uniquely steadfast: “For decades you have not backed off, not looked away, not taken a break. When offered release in exchange for betrayal, your people told them to go to hell. That is courage.” Giuliani concluded with confidence: “It’s just a little longer now. Everything is in place. The MEK will bring freedom to Iran because you are the only ones who have stayed the course.”
Honored to do interviews all day today about @Maryam_Rajavi and her ten point plan to have a free and democratic Iran pic.twitter.com/SfNa0ef3rD
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) July 31, 2025
Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy, expressed pride in hosting the Free Iran summit in Rome, paying tribute to executed PMOI members Mehdi and Behrouz Hassani: “They died for your freedom and ours. We will not forget their names.”
Renzi emphasized the failures of both war and appeasement as paths to change in Iran: “The only way is regime change by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance. This is the most difficult way, but it is the only way.”
He urged Europeans not to repeat past mistakes of misjudging Iran’s authoritarian rulers and ignoring the will of its people. Drawing inspiration from Iranian youth and the NCRI’s vision, Renzi concluded: “Iran is not the land of massacres but of a great civilization, democracy before Greece itself. Now is the time for democracy, for justice, for peace. This is the time for Free Iran.”
Rome – July 31, 2025
.@matteorenzi :
Italy was the first to abolish the death penalty. The NCRI #FreeIran10PointPlan says it will abolish the death penalty.
We will never forget #BehrouzEhsani and #MehdiHassani and all those for freedom.
They are people who continue to live in… pic.twitter.com/HjFy5KtkuA
— Women’s Committee NCRI (@womenncri) July 31, 2025
James Cleverly, former UK Foreign Secretary, stressed that sustainable leadership for Iran must come from its own people: “Leadership imposed from abroad cannot provide a lasting solution. It must come from the people and be accountable to them.”
He praised the courage of Iranian women and students demanding freedom, saying: “I have huge admiration for the young women and men of Iran who ask for nothing more than what others take for granted: a voice, respect, and equal rights.” Cleverly made clear that the international community’s demands are simple yet fundamental: “All we want, all you want, all the world should want is for Iran to be free—free from oppression at home, free from sponsoring terrorism abroad, free from nuclear threats.”
Former British Foreign Secretary @JamesCleverly speaking.
Rome International Conference in support of Free Iran with Maryam Rajavi pic.twitter.com/Ry77QXegxj
— Firouz Mahvi (@FirouzMahvi) July 31, 2025
Dr. Javaid Rehman, former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran sent a video message to the summit. Dr. Rehman delivered a chilling warning that Tehran is preparing another mass killing of political prisoners: “On July 7, a state-affiliated outlet openly called for repeating the 1988 massacre. There are real fears of mass executions today.”
He recalled his 2024 findings that documented “summary, arbitrary, extrajudicial executions amounting to crimes against humanity and genocide,” and said: “The regime has weaponized the death penalty to exterminate dissent. The international community failed to act in 1988. It must not fail again.”
Rehman urged UN member states to establish an international investigative mechanism to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent “another silent and unreported massacre like 1988.”
Rome – July 31, 2025
Message from .@JavaidRehman :
Speaking about Saeed Masouri and his letter from prison. Commemorating all prisoners. Commemorates the memory of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. pic.twitter.com/tDcgBBLVG7
— Women’s Committee NCRI (@womenncri) July 31, 2025
Lucio Malan, Italian Senator, called Maryam Rajavi an inspiration “for all who love freedom,” adding that supporting Iran’s democratic opposition is vital for global peace: “Protecting those who want freedom in Iran protects international peace.”
He praised the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan as universal: “This platform can be supported by anyone who loves democracy and equality among human beings. Supporting it in Iran means supporting freedom in our own countries.” Malan recalled the regime’s failed terror plots in Europe as proof of its threat beyond Iran’s borders, stressing the need for unwavering solidarity with the Resistance.
Carlo Cottarelli, former Italian Senator and Economist, linked Iran’s political tyranny to its economic failures, noting: “Iran could be one of the richest countries in the world if managed properly. There is no hope for prosperity under this theocratic regime.”
He stated that only regime change led by the Iranian people could resolve both the nuclear threat and the country’s suffering: “External attacks may slow enrichment temporarily, but the only permanent solution is ending half a century of dictatorship.” Cottarelli endorsed Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as an “excellent blueprint for a democratic republic,” predicting that “the day we meet in a free Tehran is not far.”
Iran’s opposition leader Maryam Rajavi invited to speak at the Italian Parliament pic.twitter.com/3ry6ZVyoEV
— Firouz Mahvi (@FirouzMahvi) July 31, 2025
Ambassador Stephen Rapp, former US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, delivered a stark message on the scale of repression in Iran. “In 2023, 850 people were hanged. In 2024, almost 1,000. This year, already 700 in seven months. The regime is weaponizing executions to terrorize its own citizens, and we fear a repeat of the 1988 massacre,” he warned.
He stressed that these killings constitute international crimes: “Charging people with ‘enmity against God’ after torture and sham trials is not justice. These are crimes against humanity, crimes against the Iranian people and all humankind.”
Rapp called for a coordinated global effort to ensure accountability for Tehran’s atrocities: “We must gather evidence, identify perpetrators, and ensure they face justice wherever they set foot. The world cannot again turn a blind eye as it did in 1988, nor trade away justice for hollow promises on nuclear talks.” He assured Iranian victims and their families: “The day of justice will arrive for Iran. Just as tribunals brought war criminals in Rwanda and Bosnia to account, the architects of mass killings in Tehran will one day face their victims in court.”
Amb Stephen Rapp: We are not talking about numbers. We are talking about people executed.
The photos of #BehrouzEhsani and #MehdiHassani, and all the others. Those victims are not forgotten.
The survivors are not alone. We are with you and the day of justice will come.
The… pic.twitter.com/6IN9SficvT
— Women’s Committee NCRI (@womenncri) July 31, 2025
Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian Senator and Presidential Candidate, spoke of her personal journey discovering the truth about the PMOI, recalling a smear campaign meant to silence her after she defended them: “This campaign of demonization wasn’t rooted in facts but in fear—fear of a movement that is a credible alternative to tyranny.”
She identified six reasons why Tehran fears the PMOI: its disciplined structure, Maryam Rajavi’s revolutionary leadership, a democratic program with the Ten-Point Plan, a vast network of Resistance Units inside Iran, a legacy of 60 years of struggle, and unparalleled sacrifice: “This is not a movement for profit or power. It is a grassroots force willing to pay the ultimate price for freedom.”
Betancourt declared: “The PMOI is not just an option. It is the only option. It is the foundation of change and the face of hope for Iran. The free world must embrace this mission now.”
.@IBetancourtCol: Faced with disinformation about the MEK, I chose to dig deeper—asking questions, listening to critics, meeting members, attending meetings, and visiting Ashraf 3 to see the truth for myself.#IranThirdOption
https://t.co/ifrSoAqsrJ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 31, 2025
Carla Sands, former US Ambassador to Denmark, called on world leaders to end decades of silence: “We must stand with the people of Iran in their quest for freedom. Each of us must stand against the mullahs and with the people as they throw off this barbaric regime.”
She praised the NCRI and MEK for building a clear roadmap: “They have an extensive network of Resistance Units risking their lives under repression. Their Ten-Point Plan promises freedom of speech, gender equality, separation of religion and state, and a non-nuclear Iran seeking peace.”
Amb. Sands emphasized that the international community must stop accommodating the regime: “Those who resist regime change are advocating for the mullahs and their global terrorism. The time is now to support the Iranian people’s right to self-determination.”
.@CarlaHSands speaking at Rome conference in support of @Maryam_Rajavi‘ plan for democratic change and a future free Republic in Iran #IranThirdOption #FreeIran2025 https://t.co/MpnIEr4E5H pic.twitter.com/8l4lq1riWm
— Hanif 𝕏 FreeIran (@HanifFreeIran) July 31, 2025
Linda Chavez, former Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, highlighted the urgency of regime change: “Destroying bombs is not enough. Killing a few leaders is not enough. What must happen is regime change, and it must happen now, by the Iranian people.”
She dismissed the Shah’s heir as illegitimate, saying: “There are not people in Iran asking for the Shah back. We do not want more torture chambers under another dictator. The only alternative is a movement that has existed for sixty years and a leader who believes in fundamental human rights: Maryam Rajavi.”
Chavez urged wider international recognition of the NCRI: “It’s not enough to meet in these halls. We must go out and spread the word: it is time to recognize the legitimate leadership of Maryam Rajavi and support a Free Iran.”
Rome – July 31, 2025@chavezlinda : You are freedom fighters.
I have been privileged to be here with you for these years.
We are living in a moment now that is important.
What has to happen is regime change and we need it.
14 people associated with PMOI who are waiting on… pic.twitter.com/JlMlvVqa31
— Women’s Committee NCRI (@womenncri) July 31, 2025
Hans Ulrich Seidt, former German Ambassador to Afghanistan, analyzed Tehran’s weakening position, noting its “existential and possibly final crisis.” He stated: “Traumatic events in Iran can no longer be ruled out. The regime’s economic decline, social unrest, and loss of regional power point to its end.”
He emphasized that only the NCRI and PMOI present a credible alternative: “Some still believe reformers within the regime can bring change, but this only stabilizes tyranny. The PMOI is the force the regime fears most, and Resistance Units are breaking the wall of resignation. Your hope is not unrealistic.”
Seidt concluded that “the regime will come to an end rather quickly, and your sacrifices will not be in vain.”