Speaking at the Free Iran 2026 World Summit in Paris, former Finnish Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki delivered a powerful address affirming her unwavering support for the Iranian people’s struggle against systematic repression. Reflecting on the stark contrast between the freedom experienced in democratic nations and the climate of fear maintained by the regime in Tehran, Jäätteenmäki underscored the extreme risks faced by those who dare to organize for change within Iran.
Jäätteenmäki argued that meaningful change in Iran will not result from foreign wars, diplomatic deals, or international silence. Instead, she identified the true engine of change as the courageous Iranian people on the ground, whose willingness to defy the regime, despite the threat of execution and detention, exposes the inherent weakness of a dictatorship built on fear. Drawing parallels to the historic and rapid collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, she asserted that while the timing of such transformations is unpredictable, history is ultimately on the side of those pursuing freedom.
The core of her message served as a strong endorsement of the NCRI. Jäätteenmäki expressed her firm belief in Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, describing it as the essential roadmap for establishing a stable, secular, and democratic Iran. Concluding her remarks, she reaffirmed her solidarity with the movement, declaring her conviction that, sooner or later, a government led by Maryam Rajavi will secure a safe and free future for the nation.
The full text of Anneli Jäätteenmäki’s speech follows:
Mrs. Rajavi, dear friends,
The video we just saw was made yesterday, here in Paris. It is unbelievable.
But, if it had been possible to do this kind of event in Tehran, the end [result would have] been executions.
That’s why we are here. We want to say no to a regime built on systematic repression, rising executions, and detentions against its own people, the Iranian people.
We have come here to say that the Iranian people have the right to live in peace, in safety, and in democratic freedom, without fear.
I must say that for me, it is very difficult to imagine living all the time in fear, without democratic freedoms.
It is easy to say, to promote human rights, but to try to live without the right to say what you will and to do what you will is difficult.
That’s why we are standing with you and your people to get a free, safe, and democratic Iran.
But the recent uprising has made it clear that change will not come from war, nor from deals or silence.
It will come from those on the ground—those people who are ready to do things that are difficult, that are harmful to them, and that might lead to detention or execution.
And because the people are ready to do that, the regime in Iran is so fearful, because the people are not behind them but want change.
Dictatorships cannot stay in power if they are built on fear.
They weaken every day. We know from history that dictatorships have fallen, and that will happen also in Iran.
But we don’t know when, and it can happen so quickly when it is the right time.
We know that when the Berlin Wall fell, we couldn’t imagine it. Could you imagine what happened in the Soviet Union? One day, there was no Soviet Union.
So, history is on the side of freedom.
I believe in a free Iran, and I believe in Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
It is the way to a safe, free, and democratic Iran.
And one day, sooner or later, we will see a government led by Maryam Rajavi.