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Tens of Thousands Rally in Brussels Marking the 60th Anniversary of the PMOI, Calling for a Free Iran

Written by Shamsi Saadati
On September 6, 2025, tens of thousands of Iranians and NCRI supporters rallied in Brussels, Belgium, to celebrate the PMOI's 60th anniversary
On September 6, 2025, tens of thousands of Iranians and NCRI supporters rallied in Brussels, Belgium, to celebrate the PMOI’s 60th anniversary

September 6, 2025 — A massive rally took place today in Brussels, marking the 60th anniversary of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), bringing together tens of thousands of supporters, political leaders, and dignitaries from across the globe to honor six decades of sacrifice and resistance against tyranny.

The event, organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), featured speeches from Maryam Rajavi, NCRI’s President-elect, alongside prominent international figures including:

  • Mike Pence – Former Vice President of the United States
  • Guy Verhofstadt – Former Prime Minister of Belgium
  • John Bercow – Former Speaker of the UK Parliament
  • Kris Van Dijck – Belgian MEP
  • Patrick Kennedy – Former U.S. Congressman
  • Alejo Vidal-Quadras – Former Vice President of the European Parliament

In her keynote speech, NCRI’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi marked sixty years of resistance, calling it “sixty years without a single day or even an hour of pause.” She said the movement has endured torture, executions, prisons, and relentless demonization, yet “the Shah fell, the mullahs will fall too.”

She stressed that the movement “wants nothing for itself” and seeks only “freedom and the transfer of sovereignty to the people of Iran,” rejecting the regime’s claim that there is no alternative: “You all know there is an alternative — well-organized, fully prepared, and perfectly qualified.” Presenting her vision for a free Iran, she called for democracy, gender equality, separation of religion and state, and a secular republic rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Highlighting women’s leadership, she called it “a new model for equality and the foundation for the Iran of tomorrow.” She urged the international community to “designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, enforce UN resolutions on the regime’s nuclear program, and support the Resistance Units.” Ending with a rallying cry, she said, “The time for uprising has arrived. You will ignite the uprising. You will liberate Iran. You will achieve victory and build the future. It can be done — and it must be done.”

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence honored the PMOI’s six decades of struggle and praised the Iranian people’s courage, saying sixty years ago a movement was born “deep in the hearts of the Iranian people” that endured the brutality of the Shah’s dictatorship and the cruelty of the theocracy that replaced it. “Today, that movement — the PMOI — is stronger, more inspired, and more powerful than ever,” he said. Pence delivered a message to Iranians secretly listening inside the country: “You are not alone. You are not forgotten. The day of your freedom is closer than ever. The free world stands with you for a democratic, secular, non-nuclear Iran.”

Highlighting the growing activities of Resistance Units, Pence said, “All across Iran today, young men and women in Resistance Units risk their lives to keep the flame of liberty alive. The Resistance Units inside Iran are the beating heart of hope for the Iranian people and an inspiration to the world. They are the driving engine of change, igniting uprisings and sustaining protests with courage that inspires the world.”

Warning against the regime’s repression, he added: “The greatest threat to this regime is not America, not Israel — it is the Iranian people themselves. We will not be silent in the face of their evil. We will stand, we will speak, and we will support the Resistance with everything we have, so help us God.”

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said, “This immense, massive presence of Iranian people from outside Iran is proof that there is effectively a democratic alternative to the cruel and criminal mullahs’ regime.”

He condemned Europe’s decades-long “policy of appeasement” toward Tehran: “The fact that the mullahs’ regime still survives shows the failure of the West’s appeasement strategy. Talking to the regime about everything, even nuclear weapons, has only made things worse.”

The former MEP called for a new European policy: “We need a new strategy — positive engagement with the Iranian people, the democratic opposition, and the organized Resistance.”

Verhofstadt laid out three immediate steps:

  1. Designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization
  2. Expand sanctions on regime leaders, banks, and oil sectors
  3. Begin a structured dialogue with the democratic opposition, using Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as the foundation

Former UK Parliament Speaker John Bercow celebrated the PMOI’s anniversary, saying the crowd’s passion for freedom reflected the “indomitable power of the human spirit.” He called the idea that there is no alternative to the mullahs’ dictatorship “an abominable insult to the people of Iran,” adding, “The alternative is not appeasement, not war — the alternative is freedom.”

Bercow dismissed any return to monarchy, declaring: “We don’t mean some baby Shah. We don’t mean some clown prince. We don’t mean someone who’s lived off the fat of the land for decades — a kind of playboy prince over the water, generously offering to come to the rescue of the people of Iran now. Not needed, not wanted, not of any use whatsoever.”

He praised the NCRI and the PMOI-led Resistance Units, calling them “greater in number, bigger in scale of activity, and superior in reach in their communities than at any time.” He said Mrs. Rajavi “has devoted her whole adult life not to living on riches, not to serving herself, but to sacrificing everything to serve the cause of a free Iran.”

Bercow closed with a personal pledge: “For as long as I have breath in my lungs, I will support the cause of freedom for Iran.”

#FreeIran2025 rally in Brussels: Tens of thousands join Mrs Rajavi & global leaders for a free Iran

Belgian MEP Kris Van Dijck expressed solidarity with Iranians fighting for freedom, praising the massive gathering in Brussels and the courage of those standing up to oppression. “Wherever people have the courage to fight for fundamental human rights, freedom of speech, free elections, equality between men and women, and freedom of religion, I stand on their side,” he said.

He called for the release of political prisoners and an end to executions, adding that “Europeans held in Iranian jails as hostages must be freed immediately.” He condemned Tehran’s hostage-taking and declared, “The policy of Flanders and Belgium is clear: no more hostage diplomacy, and we are pushing the EU to blacklist the IRGC as a terrorist organization.”

Highlighting the strength of the movement, he said, “The real power is you, the people of Iran, united. Nothing is as strong as the will of the people.” Van Dijck concluded by reaffirming his shared vision with the protesters: “My dream is your dream: a free Iran where fundamental human rights are respected and where we, together, can build a better world. I’m on your side.”

Former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy praised the PMOI’s sacrifices and celebrated its 60th anniversary, sending a special message to members of Ashraf 1, 2, and 3, thanking them for their “personal witness to freedom” and their courage in decades of resistance. He said, “Every single year, MEK members have been tortured, jailed, and murdered — but have they stopped? No, they haven’t.”

Kennedy highlighted the PMOI’s power and resilience: “It stood up to the Shah’s secret police, it has stood up to the mullahs’ terrorists, and today it represents hope for a brighter future for a free Iran, embodied by the leadership of Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI.”

He thanked European leaders for rejecting Tehran’s appeasement strategy, warning, “Appeasement never gets us security. Appeasement invites fascism to prevail. We must double down on sanctions, hold the IRGC accountable, and unite free people everywhere against the oppression of the mullahs.”

Framing the cause as universal, he said, “This isn’t just an Iranian issue. This is a human rights issue, and we are all human beings.” In an emotional close, he echoed his uncle’s historic Berlin speech: “President Kennedy said, ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’ Today, as his nephew, I proudly say, ‘Man Irani hastam’ — I am Iranian.”

Former European Parliament Vice President Alejo Vidal-Quadras addressed the tens of thousands gathered in Brussels, calling them “the living embodiment of the Iranian people’s will for change.” He praised the NCRI and PMOI, saying, “You are not a fringe, you are not a faction, you are not a grouplet. You are the voice of millions of Iranians. You are the heartbeat of a nation.”

“Dear Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI and PMOI are not alone. Iran is suffocated by tyranny, and your presence here is a living referendum — a thunderous voice for your democratic vision expressed in your Ten-Point Plan,” he said.

Condemning any return to monarchy, he declared, “The vast majority of Iranians reject replacing a criminal, corrupt, and terrorist regime with a crown dictatorship driven by selfish ambition.” Highlighting the Resistance Units, he said, “I have seen them inside Iran — fearless, challenging, marking the PMOI’s 60th anniversary with fire, determination, and faith.”

Responding to critics, he added, “To those who say you lack support, we reply that their only wish is to see the mullahs rule for another 50 years. This would be a disgrace we will not allow.”

Recalling surviving an assassination attempt, he pledged, “I will remain a proud soldier in your ranks under the banner of Maryam Rajavi, all the way to a free Iran.” Sending a message to Tehran, he warned, “They can kill us, torture us, imprison us — but we will never, never, ever give up.”

Andrin Mohseni, a young PMOI supporter declared: “Mohammad Hanifnejad was only 27 when he founded the PMOI. Sixty years later, the organization is stronger than ever. Today, it terrifies the regime, which is trembling and falling.”

He addressed the Resistance Units directly: “Your defiance shakes the regime and honors the martyrs. Though far from Iran, our hearts beat with yours, and your sacrifice lights the path to freedom.”

Farzaneh Hosseini, an Iranian Activist, honored her family’s sacrifices: “Two of my uncles endured torture in the Shah’s jails and were murdered by the mullahs. My aunt Maryam Hosseini was brutally killed in the 2013 Camp Ashraf massacre.”

Praising Maryam Rajavi’s leadership, she said: “Under Maryam Rajavi’s motto, ‘mitavan va bayad — we can and we must,’ generations of women have risen to lead a movement daring to challenge the world’s most misogynistic regime.”

Vida Niktalean, an NCRI Supporter and leader of an Iranian-German Community group, celebrated the PMOI’s resilience: “Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of an iron-willed organization that, through sacrifice, honesty, and loyalty to its covenant, has become the national treasure of 90 million Iranians and is poised to break every bond of this regime.”

Today’s rally in Brussels demonstrated growing international recognition of the NCRI and PMOI as the democratic alternative to Iran’s ruling regime. The event reflected a united front — from former world leaders to young Iranian activists — standing alongside the Resistance and its vision for a free, secular, and democratic Iran.

As Maryam Rajavi declared: “Uprising and overthrow are on the way. You will ignite the uprising. You will liberate Iran. It can be done — and it must be done.”

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