Message on the Second Anniversary of the Iran People’s Great Uprising in 2022
Maryam Rajavi: An Iran Without Executions, a Free and Prosperous Iran—Our Pledge to the People of Iran
Greetings and salutations to our brave compatriots!
Your gatherings and demonstrations these days, commemorating the anniversary of the 2022 uprising, are a powerful testament to the unwavering determination of the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the oppressive Velayat-e Faqih regime.
Today, we are here to say that increasing the number of executions in Iran, fueling wars in the region, and sacrificing the Palestinian people will not save the mullahs’ regime.
Khamenei’s new president’s attempts to unify the regime’s fractured factions are futile.
The sham trials, demonization, and false accusations against the People’s Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK), Ashraf-3, and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) are doomed to fail. They only strengthen the resolve of the freedom fighters to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.
The Force of Rebellion and Uprising: Determined and Powerful
Salutes to the great uprising of the Iranian people in 2022, sparked by the tragic death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini at the hands of Khamenei’s brutal forces.
This uprising vividly demonstrated that the regime was on the brink of collapse and loudly proclaimed that no form of dictatorship, under any name, has a place in Iran. Across the nation, protesters cried out, “Death to the oppressor, whether it be the Shah or the mullahs’ Supreme Leader.”
In this uprising, 750 young people, including Hadis Najafi, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Mehrshad Shahidi, and Mohammad Ghobadlou, were shot and slain by the regime’s revolutionary guards, and 30,000 individuals were detained, tortured, and abused in Khamenei’s prisons.
Yet the force of rebellion and uprising grew stronger and more resolute within the heart of society. Mothers, fathers, and courageous youth cried out, “No bowing down!”
So much blood was shed from the bodies of our Baluchi compatriots, from the bloody Friday of Zahedan to the murder of Khodanour Lojeii, and the death under torture of Dr. Ebrahim Rigi. Yet, the Baluchi people and youth did not heed the calls to surrender. They remained steadfast, preserving their stronghold of resistance and uprising.
From Zahedan to Tehran, from Kurdistan to Khorasan, Tabriz, Rasht, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Kerman, and Shiraz, the Iranian people’s uprising demonstrated its strength in challenging the mullahs’ regime.
The democratic revolution took center stage amidst the burning cells of Evin and Lakan prisons, the countless eyes of our young men and women blinded in the struggle, the suffering of thousands of students deprived of education or expelled from their schools, the bravery of the youth in Mahabad, Javanrud, Sanandaj, and Kamyaran who fortified the streets, and the sacrifices of the courageous members of the Resistance Units who became the torchbearers of the uprising.
They drew the lines of ‘neither the Shah nor the Sheikh’ and the People’s Front gained unprecedented credibility.
Under the guidance of Massoud Rajavi, the Leader of the Iranian Resistance, the revolutionary solution thwarted attempts to divert the uprising and directed it toward the goal of overthrowing the Velayat-e Faqih regime.
As Massoud said: “The gift of the uprising to the Velayat-e Faqih regime is insecurity, disintegration, and ultimately its downfall. The uprising of the people will never be silenced.”
Daily Executions Reveal the Regime’s Fear of the People’s Uprising
Today, the regime’s new president represents the ultimate outcome of Khamenei’s and his regime’s utter desperation in the face of a society that is fiercely dissatisfied and poised for uprising.
Khamenei’s president declares that the regime is in danger. He seeks to establish a façade of unity with his puppet cabinet amidst the fractured factions of the ruling regime. Yet, this is a mirage.
The product of Khamenei’s president and his puppet cabinet, up to this day, is marked by 160 executions.
Contrary to his promises, he has started his economic surgery by targeting the tables of the poor and disadvantaged. Right from the outset, he increased the price of bread and is now promising further hikes in the cost of gasoline and other essential goods.
The regime’s daily and relentless executions under Khamenei’s rule are driven by fear of the people’s anger and uprising. Among the victims are the detained protester Reza Rasaei, the heroic son of the courageous people of Sahneh, and the steadfast prisoner Kamran Sheikheh, the proud son of the Sunni community.
Indeed, it is executions and more executions. This is the unity of all factions within the regime against the people of Iran.
Despite all its crimes and plundering, this regime has no escape from its impending downfall.
Last June, in the European Parliament, I launched an international campaign to stop executions in Iran. I emphasized that every hour of delay in adopting the correct policy against religious tyranny results in more executions of the Iranian people.
Here, I commend your efforts, the members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance, and human rights defenders in this campaign. I call upon all compatriots to expand the campaign against executions.
We will not rest until we force the decayed Velayat-e Faqih regime to drink the poison chalice of human rights. This is an integral part of the struggle to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.
Expanding Resistance and Uprising: The Path to Confronting the Execution Regime
From here, I extend my warmest salutations to my courageous sisters, the political prisoners in Evin. Last month, during their sit-in, they cried out: “In unison and alliance, we stand steadfast to the end, until the abolition of the death penalty.”
Indeed, an Iran without executions, a free Iran, and a prosperous Iran is our pledge to the Iranian people.
I also commend the political prisoners in Khamenei’s prisons across the country, who stage weekly hunger strikes every Tuesday to protest the relentless executions.
Yes, the way to confront the regime of executions and massacres is through protest, rebellion, and the expansion of resistance and uprising to overthrow it.
The brave nurses are right in their recent courageous protests, echoing the sentiment of all the people: “Our rights will only be achieved in the streets.”
They are right in saying: “Our strength is in our unity, the result of our hard work.”
The retirees of Kermanshah are also right in their cries against the regime: “Enough with the warmongering, our tables are empty.”
Indeed, all efforts and sacrifices, as well as every day and every moment, are intertwined with the struggle for the uprising.
The message from the people and the Iranian Resistance to governments and international organizations is:
Stop the outdated policy of appeasement towards the serpent of Velayat-e Faqih in Tehran.
Condition your relations with this regime on halting executions.
Designate the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Activate the snapback mechanism for effective sanctions against this regime.
Recognize religious fascism as a threat to global peace and security under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
Acknowledge the Iranian people’s right to overthrow the mullahs’ regime and the right of the Resistance Units and rebellious youth to fight against the IRGC.
Salute to the uprising in Iran—salute to freedom—greetings to all of you.
