On 6 September 2025, tens of thousands gathered in Brussels to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The event brought together members of the Iranian community from across Europe and North America, joined by international lawmakers, human rights advocates, and public figures. The rally called for an end to executions, the release of political prisoners, and urgent global action to uphold fundamental freedoms in Iran.
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, opened the gathering by reflecting on six decades of struggle for liberty and equality, honouring those imprisoned, tortured, or executed for opposing dictatorship. She reiterated that the movement’s longevity was built upon sacrifice and the universal aspiration for human rights.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence commended the courage of Iran’s people, emphasising that “the greatest threat to this regime is the Iranian people themselves.” He urged Western governments to prioritise human rights over political expediency.
Guy Verhofstadt, former Belgian Prime Minister, condemned years of European appeasement, insisting that dialogue without accountability only strengthens tyranny.
John Bercow, former Speaker of the UK House of Commons, hailed the determination of Iranian women and young people, declaring that “the alternative is not appeasement, not war — the alternative is freedom.”
Belgian MP Kris Van Dijck urged immediate international action to stop executions and secure the release of prisoners of conscience.
Patrick Kennedy, former U.S. Congressman, described the crisis in Iran as a test of global moral resolve, asserting that silence in the face of injustice perpetuates suffering.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former Vice President of the European Parliament, said that “mass movements for liberty cannot be silenced,” calling for sustained solidarity with the Iranian people.
Human rights advocates Farzaneh Hosseini and Andrin Mohseni delivered moving testimonies of loss, imprisonment, and exile, personalising the wider humanitarian cost of repression. Their words highlighted the ongoing pain of separated families and the hope that sustains Iran’s resistance to tyranny.
The Brussels rally stood as both a remembrance and a call to action — a demonstration of solidarity across nations for the Iranian people’s enduring fight for justice, equality, and freedom.
