Kimmo Sasi did not just witness history—he shaped it.
He was a Finnish statesman, yes. A legislator, a minister, a Nordic Council leader. But for those who have long lived under the shadow of dictatorship in Iran, Kimmo Sasi was something far greater: a voice for the voiceless, a moral compass in a cynical world, and a fighter for freedom whose legacy reaches far beyond Finland’s borders.
For nearly two decades, Kimmo Sasi stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Iranian Resistance, defending their right to exist, to speak, and to fight for a democratic future. While many politicians hesitated—trapped by diplomacy, apathy, or self-interest—Sasi was clear, consistent, and courageous. He did not shy away from calling the regime in Tehran what it is: a blood-soaked tyranny, responsible for the execution of over 120,000 political prisoners.
He did not stay neutral in the face of injustice. He chose sides—and he chose the people of Iran.
With profound sorrow, I have learned of the passing of Mr. Kimmo Sasi, a distinguished Finnish statesman, former Member of Parliament, former Minister of Transport and Communications, and a devoted friend of the Iranian Resistance.
On behalf of myself and the Iranian Resistance,… pic.twitter.com/5nlymoXVOj— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 17, 2025
Sasi was a relentless advocate for removing the Iranian Resistance from the EU’s terrorist blacklist—a major obstacle engineered by Tehran’s regime and its appeasers to criminalize its most feared opposition. He worked tirelessly with lawmakers across Europe, built alliances across party lines, and challenged ministries and courts until justice prevailed.
When the lives of PMOI members were under threat in Ashraf and Liberty camps in Iraq, Kimmo Sasi was among the first to raise his voice internationally. He invited Mrs. Maryam Rajavi to Finland, gave her a platform in Parliament, and stood before his colleagues to say: “This is a democratic alternative for Iran—and it must be recognized.”
He was not moved by political calculation, but by moral conviction. In Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, he saw not just a political blueprint, but a roadmap to restore the dignity of a people stripped of their rights. He believed in a secular republic, in equal rights for women and minorities, in the disbandment of the IRGC and the establishment of a democratic Iran. And he never hesitated to say so.
@4freedominiran opposition gathers in Albania Last year Iranian government tried to bomb the meeting No freedom of speech in Iran, only prison Iranian economy in chaos It is time for the people to take power and bring @democracy pic.twitter.com/AqGd54vavJ
— Kimmo Sasi (@KimmoSasi) July 13, 2019
In every international forum—from Helsinki to Strasbourg, from the Nordic Council to the halls of the European Parliament—Kimmo Sasi carried a torch for Iranian freedom. He called for the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist entity long before it became a mainstream policy demand. He warned that regime embassies were not diplomatic missions, but operational hubs for terror and espionage.
He never minced his words.
“The cost of the regime’s terrorism must become unbearable,” he said. “And that cost begins with the truth.”
Today, as tyrants still rule in Tehran and the Iranian people rise again and again for freedom, the memory of Kimmo Sasi is not just honored—it is carried forward. In every act of resistance, in every rally where the cry of “Woman, Resistance, Freedom” echoes, in every political breakthrough the Resistance achieves, his legacy endures.
#Iran diplomaatti Assadollah Assasi tuomittiin 4.2. Belgiassa 20v vankeuteen terrori-iskun yrityksestä pommilla Iran opposition kokoukseen, jota minäkin olin tukemassa. #EU ulkoministerien pitää osoittaa, etteivät hyväksy Iran toimintaa. Business kokouksen pitäminen olisi häpeä. https://t.co/lNI3QGdjSt
— Kimmo Sasi (@KimmoSasi) February 18, 2021
Kimmo Sasi was not Iranian. But he stood with Iran’s people as one of their own.
The people of Iran will never forget this man. Not because he promised them freedom, but because he fought for it. Because he never let them stand alone.
One day, when Iran is free and the history of its long and painful march toward democracy is written, Kimmo Sasi’s name will not be a footnote.
It will be a chapter.
@mariam-rajavi Peace in Middle East is possible only if there is democracy and Human Rights in Iran
— Kimmo Sasi (@KimmoSasi) May 5, 2015