On May 31, 2025, former Member of the European Parliament Paulo Casaca delivered a passionate speech at a major international conference in support of the Iranian Resistance. The event gathered global lawmakers and civil society leaders to rally behind the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and advocate for democratic change in Iran.
Addressing Maryam Rajavi and the audience — both in person and those connected from Ashraf 3 in Albania — Casaca praised the Resistance for their extraordinary perseverance. He honored those who have endured persecution and violence, calling them the true heroes who continue the fight despite assassinations and brutal attacks.
Casaca noted that over the past year, the Iranian regime has suffered significant setbacks: the weakening of proxy groups and the loss of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad. Now, with mass protests from Iranian workers, especially lorry drivers, he said the regime is in a dire state.
He warned that while the regime suffers blows, it escalates its campaigns of disinformation and deception — especially on human rights issues like the death penalty and women’s rights. Casaca urged continued vigilance, truth-telling, and unity in the fight for a free Iran.
The following is a lightly edited transcript of the speech for clarity and readability.
A moving speech by @paulocasaca1
Paris International Conference with Maryam Rajavi#FreeIran2025 pic.twitter.com/pNeUdwikxK— Firouz Mahvi (@FirouzMahvi) May 31, 2025
Ladies and gentlemen, please give your warmest welcome to Mr. Paulo Casaca. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Dear Madam Rajavi, distinguished guests, all members of the Iranian community here, but most of all — those in Albania, those in Ashraf 3 — I greet you with all my respect.
Lars correctly noted that the United States Congress, in its majority, approved a resolution for your protection.
But I have to tell you — you deserve much more than protection.
You are the heroes. You have stood firm under tremendously difficult circumstances. You have faced the enemy — sometimes with your bare hands. Dozens and dozens have been murdered. But you never quit. You stayed.
You are the heroes. You are the ones who will be remembered and honored most among us.
And it’s true — as has already been said — that since we last gathered, the regime has endured disaster after disaster.
They’ve watched their proxies — the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah — take massive blows. Most importantly, they have lost Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
They’ve been hit again and again. And now, despite a horrendous surge in executions, they face a wave of unrest — thousands and thousands of lorry drivers confronting them, demanding justice, calling for a different system.
This shows how truly desperate the regime is.
And we know them. We know how they operate. When they suffer losses, they respond not only with violence, but with deception. They escalate disinformation.
.@paulocasaca1: The regime lies compulsively—from denying executions to enforcing dress codes. This struggle is vital for all of us. We must expose their deception and confront this war—different as it is—with determination.#NCRIAlternative
https://t.co/5rQgzkRCb6— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 31, 2025
Whenever there are concessions, they exploit them to advance aggression. That is clear. But even in the face of firmness, we must remain vigilant — because their capacity for deceit is relentless.
Just look at the new president. They keep saying: “Oh, he’s against the death penalty. That era is over.”
It’s a lie. He holds the record for executions in Iran.
The same is true for the regime’s claims about women’s rights and dress codes. More lies.
They are compulsive liars.
And this — this struggle — is not only your struggle. It is a vital struggle for all of us.
We must expose their deception. We must be prepared for their lies. And we must wage this fight with determination — even if it is a different kind of war than the one you in Ashraf have fought in Iraq and elsewhere.
It is a war of truth, of resistance, of moral clarity.
And I believe that if we continue to invest in this cause — with the right will and unity — victory will come sooner rather than later.
Thank you all — and let us hope that we will all join together in Iran, for a great celebration of freedom.
Thank you.