A Message to the Iranian Demonstrators in Brussels on the Anniversary of the Uprising

Maryam Rajavi: The Factors and Motivations Behind the 2022-2023 Uprising Are at Work for the Next Major Uprising

To freedom-loving compatriots,

And to the ardent supporters of the Iranian Resistance,

I begin my speech in the name of freedom, what the Iranian people have been searching for over the past 120 years. I speak in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this cause, and in the name of the uprising and its participants, who ignited the hearts and stirred the emotions of people worldwide.

In the name of the women who have courageously led the fight against the Khomeini and Khamenei regimes. In honor of the resilient prisoners who endure torture and harassment without forsaking their principles.

In the name of the Resistance Units, who illuminate the path and guide the uprising and the rebellious youths. In the name of the parents of the martyrs and the brave souls who resolutely proclaimed, ‘Do not yield.’ And in your name, freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the Iranian Resistance, who resonate at every moment with the spirit of uprising, amplifying the echoes of demands and impassioned cries from Iran across cities and streets worldwide.

A Year Marked by Courage

A year has passed since the eruption of the nationwide uprising in Iran, sparked by the tragic loss of Zhina Amini (Mahsa). This uprising set the regime ablaze in its entirety. It has been a year brimming with the bravery and sacrifice of the Iranian people’s children, from Zahedan to Tehran, from Kurdistan to Khorasan, from Tabriz to Rasht, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Kerman, Shiraz, and every corner of Iran.

This uprising, a manifestation of the boundless strength of the Iranian people, has wrought miracles and inspired awe. An uprising that, no matter how much they tried to suppress it, no matter how much blood they spilled from its body, neither deviated from its course nor relinquished its resolve to topple the regime.

And today, it is the Iranian uprising whose footsteps are being heard. And it is the architects of uprising and rebels who say, ‘We will return, marching victoriously through the streets to topple the palaces of tyranny and suppression of the clerics.’

Behold the glorious tableau of the uprising!

Those 750 heroic martyrs, the brave prisoners who, in the dungeons of Lakan and Evin, saw their wards set ablaze in the regime’s plot yet still resisted, the bloody Friday in Zahedan, all the eyes of our daughters and sons that were blinded, and the innocent children upon whom bullets found their mark.

Those thousands of students who were targeted, deprived of education, or expelled; the courageous Kurdish youth who went as far as setting up barricades in the streets of Mahabad, Javanrud, Sanandaj, and Kamyaran; and the valiant members of the Resistance Units who ignited sparks of hope throughout the year, undermining the dark rule of the theocracy.

Another uprising is on its way

Khamenei and his ruthless IRGC are well aware that another uprising is looming, yet they are powerless to prevent it.

The same factors and motivations that created the uprising of 2022-2023 are at work with even greater intensity, preparing the social landscape for the next big uprising.

The daily protests that erupt across society, from the retirees’ rallies, frequent workers’ strikes, and scattered revolts in various parts of the country to the relentless attacks by rebellious youths against the IRGC and suppression agents, are all the ripples of the same looming volcano.

The astronomical rise in prices, rendering people homeless, the regime’s entrenchment and increasingly yielding to bloodthirsty figures like Ebrahim Raisi, the henchman of 1988—all of these constitute a ruthless war against Iranian society. They not only intensify the motivations for an uprising but also dig their own grave in the process.

Yes, this regime is at an impasse; it will not return to its previous balance. It faces a society where not only the social readiness for overthrowing the regime has increased, but the confrontational stance of the young generation against the Revolutionary Guards has also intensified.

The more the clerical regime resorts to behind-the-scenes deals with foreign interlocutors, the more it hatches plots against the PMOI and the NCRI, and the more appeasing powers degrade themselves in the face of the regime’s policy of hostage-taking and blackmail, the point of no return has been reached; this regime can no longer avert its own downfall.

What the people’s front says: Neither the Shah, nor the Mullahs

Fellow compatriots,

Just as the uprising in Iran has ensnared Khamenei’s regime in a web of intractable dilemmas, it has also positioned the Iranian freedom movement on the path of advancement.

In the same way that the democratic revolution has gained momentum, the boundary of ‘neither Shah nor Sheikh’ has gained more credibility than ever, and the flag of the Democratic Republic has been hoisted high atop the summit of the uprising.

Guided by Massoud Rajavi, the revolutionary solution thwarted the uprising from being stolen and directed it towards the overthrow of the Velayat-e Faqih regime. Massoud safeguarded the great heritage of the people and history, and the blood of 120,000 Mojahedin and revolutionaries, including those 30,000 unforgettable martyrs, strengthening the people’s front against the dictatorships of both the Shah and the mullahs.

Through the challenging obstacles, amidst the complexities and darkness, he opened the path for a democratic revolution and laid the foundation for its victory—a path that will undoubtedly lead to its triumphant and glorious conclusion.

Today, the tide is turning against the regime and its allies. The clerics have no escape from the inevitable overthrow by the army of uprising and the grand army of the Iranian people‘s freedom.

The democratic revolution of the people of Iran will triumph.