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Iranian Opposition Rallies in Hamburg and Stockholm Endorse NCRI Provisional Government

Written by Shamsi Saadati
Supporters of the NCRI as well as other political and ethnic groups held a major rally in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 14, 2026
Supporters of the NCRI as well as other political and ethnic groups held a major rally in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 14, 2026

On March 14, 2026, thousands of Iranian exiles, supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), along with representatives from various political and ethnic groups, rallied on Saturday in Hamburg and Stockholm. The events endorsed the NCRI’s provisional government plan and Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Platform for a secular, democratic republic. Demonstrators explicitly rejected both the clerical regime and any monarchical restoration, chanting “No to Shah, no to mullah; yes to the establishment of a democratic republic by the people and the National Liberation Army (NLA).”

In her address to Iranians gathered in Hamburg and Stockholm, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi saluted the demonstrators as the voice of a defenseless nation trapped between devastating war and brutal repression. She declared that the day is near when a sweeping popular uprising, joined by the Liberation Army and the PMOI-led Resistance Units, will finally topple the religious dictatorship.

Mrs. Rajavi highlighted the regime’s panic following the Resistance’s February 23 offensive against Khamenei’s headquarters, noting the Revolutionary Guards’ open orders to shoot protesting youth and the judiciary’s readiness to repeat the 1988 massacre. She stressed that the central conflict is between the Iranian people and Resistance on one side and religious fascism on the other.

Emphasizing the Provisional Government’s core slogan—“Peace and Freedom”—Mrs. Rajavi affirmed that only the Iranian people hold the legitimate right to shape their country’s future. She concluded, “The people of Iran will write their destiny with the blood of their brave sons and daughters, and there is no need for foreign intervention. This Resistance does not seek money, weapons, or the presence of foreign forces on Iranian soil, and I have repeated this many times. Finally, the National Council of Resistance and the Provisional Government are not seeking to seize power, but to transfer power to the sovereignty of the people of Iran.”

Hamburg Rally

The Hamburg demonstration brought together a broad coalition: Iranian diaspora communities from northern Germany, organized resistance supporters, German politicians from multiple parties, the Iranian Youth Association, and notably Baloch and Kurdish ethnic groups with their officials addressing the crowd.

Obeidollah Baluch, Baluch Community Representative, thanked the organizers and participants for the invitation, highlighting the region’s heightened tensions and the pressures on the Iranian people. He stressed the necessity of unity and solidarity, declaring that when people stand together and cooperate, they can achieve freedom, justice, and human rights. Baluch envisioned a healthy society without king or cleric, built instead on a democratic republic where all are equal before the law. He called for empathy and collective action to forge a brighter future, concluding with a direct message in the Baluchi language to the Buloch nation.

Behrouz Ardalan, Representative of the Organization of Khabat Kurdistan Iran, conveyed greetings from the heroic Peshmerga of the Organization of Khabat Kurdistan Iran to all freedom-loving Iranians and the people of Kurdistan. He affirmed continued support for the nationwide uprising and mourned two Peshmerga martyrs killed and four wounded in the previous day’s regime missile attack, honoring their memory and wishing recovery to the injured. Ardalan condemned the regime’s destructive policies and declared that the clerics no longer possess the strength to resist the Iranian people’s will. He pledged Kurdish commitment to a free, democratic Iran that respects national rights, rejecting any future dictatorship—clerical or monarchical—and called for strengthened resistance cooperation. Ardalan ended with the victory cry: “Long live the democratic revolution of the Iranian people!”

Dr. Ralf Stegner, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Federal Parliament, prioritized compassion, solidarity, and humanitarian assistance amid Iran’s dire situation, calling for an end to war and the restoration of international law. He asserted that Iran’s democratic opposition deserves full solidarity and support from Germany and the European Union. Drawing on recent dialogues with exiled democratic organizations, MP Stegner advocated for a future Iran founded on the separation of religion and state, guaranteeing national minority rights and gender equality. He explicitly rejected foreign military intervention, urging Germany and the EU to back humanitarian efforts, refugee support, and the internal democratic opposition fighting the mullahs’ regime.

Thomas Lutze, former Member of the German Bundestag, expressed his solidarity with the Iranian people, hoping for their swift freedom and the dawn of democracy. He described the current war-torn situation as urgent, declaring that the regime’s leaders must be consigned to the “dustbin of history” so the people can shape their own future. Lutze praised Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as flawless and the correct political path. He called for joint international efforts to establish a democratic and free government in Iran, pledging his continued personal support and expressing his desire to witness a free, peaceful Iran without mullah rule.

Helmut Guckinger, former Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024) from the German Family Party, criticized Europe’s decades-long lack of decisive policy toward the mullah regime, which has profited economically at the expense of human rights and Iran’s ethnic minorities. He welcomed the existence of a transitional provisional government and urged European representatives to recognize and support the NCRI’s provisional government internationally. Guckinger rejected both clerical rule and monarchy, advocating instead for a free, democratic Iran where all citizens, including minorities, can live happily. He called for economic pressure on the regime rather than military intervention, emphasizing that Iran belongs to its 90 million people and must become a pillar of regional peace and stability. He saluted the resistance movement and Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, expressing hope that the mullahs will soon depart and bombings cease.

Benjamin Velling, Youth Representative of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), greeted the crowd despite the cold weather, thanking them for their visible commitment to a free Iran. He expressed optimism that hopes for a better future could prevail despite the regime’s terror and destruction, acknowledging that freedom demands struggle and sacrifice. Velling noted the regime’s savagery, including the Revolutionary Guards’ threats, and praised Iranian youth and women for their courageous resistance. He urged Germany to stand with those seeking a democratic republic based on full equality for women, children, and men, concluding with prayers for freedom, democracy, and peace for all Iranians.

Saniya Kohandel, Representative of Iranian Communities in Northern Germany, affirmed that the fight against the clerical rule and monarchy for freedom and independence will continue uninterrupted until the victory of the Iranian people’s democratic revolution. Kohandel explicitly endorsed the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) provisional government, describing it as grounded in Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan with its core message of peace and freedom. She highlighted the decisive role of the organized Iranian Resistance and the National Liberation Army in the regime’s overthrow, calling for national unity so the Iranian people’s voice resonates globally: “No to king, no to mullah; yes to the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran by the people and the National Liberation Army.”

Mahyar Shahriari declared that the struggle against religious dictatorship will persist until the establishment of a democratic republic and the triumph of the revolution. He firmly rejected any return to monarchy or the succession of Mojtaba Khamenei as the supreme leader, stating that such a move would merely replicate the 1979 dictatorship and must be swept away. Shahriari emphasized that the Iranian people have risen to overthrow the regime, delivering the clear message of “no to war, no to appeasement,” while crediting the National Liberation Army with a pivotal role in victory. He voiced full support for Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan to secure freedom and concluded with the rallying cry: “No to king, no to cleric; yes to the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran by the people.”

Afsaneh Garshasbi spotlighted Iranian women as the driving force of the uprising and the engine of change in Iran. She praised the brave women and girls in the Resistance Units who confront the regime in the streets as units of the NLA, as well as those who transformed funeral ceremonies for children slain in the December uprising into acts of revolt, shouting “My daughter or son is a revolutionary fighter.” Garshasbi warned that these women represent a nightmare for religious fascism and any dictator attempting to steal the people’s revolution. Referencing Maryam Rajavi’s earlier warnings, she declared that the woman-oppressing clerics will ultimately be defeated by the very women they underestimate. She voiced unwavering support for the NCRI’s provisional government under Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan and saluted the heroic women and girls of the Resistance Units.

Hanif Mahoutchiyan, speaking for Iranian youth, declared support for the NCRI’s provisional government as the fulfillment of a 120-year dream of freedom, democracy, and equality across Iran—from Kurdistan to Zahedan. He stated that the people are disgusted with both king and cleric and demand democracy, which the National Council of Resistance, rebel cells, and National Liberation Army will deliver. Mahoutchiyan celebrated Iran’s ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity, rejecting any single-leader model and affirming that the people and the resistance are the true leaders. He pledged that youth will not falter until the regime is overthrown and a democratic republic is established, ending with the chant: “No to king, no to cleric; yes to democracy and republic!”

Dr. Saeed Ferdowsi, Representative of Iranian Communities in Germany, addressed the Iranian nation at a historic crossroads after decades of clerical fascism marked by oppression, discrimination, imprisonment, torture, and execution. He proclaimed the enduring voice of a people demanding freedom, justice, and self-determination. Dr. Ferdowsi warned that the uprising and revolution belong solely to the Iranian people and must not be hijacked again by any individual, group, or external power, emphasizing that the revolution must remain in the hands of its rightful owners to achieve genuine liberation.

Stockholm Rally

The Stockholm event united Iranian diaspora communities, NCRI supporters, and participants from Iran’s various nationalities. The rally explicitly highlighted ethnic solidarity and speakers repeatedly stressed unity among Iran’s nationalities to prevent any return of tyranny after the regime’s fall.

Manouchehr Arastoupour, Iranian rowing champion and a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told the crowd that whether the regime is ready or not, the storm of change is rising and the clerical dictatorship is marching toward its inevitable destruction. He assured participants that they will soon witness the realization of freedom, quoting NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi: “Be certain that with the Iranian Liberation Army, victory belongs to us and the heroic people.”

Nabehez Alidoust, a Kurdish activist, congratulated the Iranian people on the death of the dictator Ali Khamenei, hailing the end of a dark era in the nation’s history. He warned, however, that the dictator’s demise alone does not guarantee freedom; true liberation will come only when all the ethniticies of Iran join hands to create a new order that prevents tyranny from returning. Alidoust called for the unity of all political and social forces with long histories of fighting despotism to guide Iran through the major political transformations ahead.

Asal Givichian addressed the Stockholm rally by honoring the memory of the victims of the regime’s recent crackdown during the December 18-19 protests. She described the horrifying images of black bags used to terrorize demonstrators and the suffering and deaths inflicted on young Iranians, declaring that the people will neither forgive nor forget these crimes. Givichian stressed that freedom and democracy will not be achieved through foreign war, but only through dialogue, national solidarity, and struggle in all its forms, grounded in the sovereign will of the Iranian people.

Bataneh Tusi spoke at the Stockholm rally as a committed supporter of the resistance, adding her voice to the collective demand for the overthrow of the clerical dictatorship and full backing for the NCRI’s provisional government as the path to a free and democratic Iran.

Soheila Dashti declared that the rally had once again raised the unified voice of the Iranian people and the resistance to the entire world. She recounted more than four decades of suffering, torture, and hardship under the clerical regime, affirming that the only path to freedom and a democratic Iran is through unwavering resistance against Islamic fundamentalism—whether under Khomeini, Khamenei, or his son, whom she described as having assumed the “fatty kingship.” Dashti sharply criticized policies of appeasement that have ignored the regime’s crimes, torture, and executions of Mujahideen, resistance fighters, and Iran’s various nationalities.

Aida Jabari electrified the Stockholm crowd by leading a powerful Persian chant titled “Fire trunk, flame rises,” symbolizing the unstoppable determination of the resistance and the Iranian people to bring down the dictatorship.

Ehsan Qaraee emphasized that after four decades the Iranian resistance has always maintained that genuine independence, freedom, and democracy require the complete overthrow of velayat-e faqih and the establishment of a secular republic, with a clear demarcation from any monarchical or clerical currents. He recalled Maryam Rajavi’s consistent warnings for more than 21 years that the regime’s downfall will not come through foreign war but through the legitimate, organized, and ground-based struggle of the resistance and the oppressed people of Iran—positions now validated more than ever by current events. Ghorai also referenced the regime’s missile and drone attacks on Kurdish parties’ bases and the threats issued by both clerical and monarchist factions.

Mona Doughfalush delivered her speech in Swedish to the audience in Stockholm, directly conveying the Iranian people’s demand for a democratic republic and their support for the NCRI provisional government to the Swedish public and international community.

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