BRUSSELS — On December 10, 2025, the European Parliament became the focal point for a significant shift in the discourse regarding Iran. Marking International Human Rights Day, a high-profile conference brought together lawmakers from across the political spectrum, former prime ministers, and human rights advocates to address the escalating crisis in Tehran.
Hosted in Brussels, the event featured a keynote address by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The gathering served as a platform for European policymakers to declare that the era of accommodating the clerical regime has ended, urging the European Union to officially recognize the Iranian people’s right to overthrow the religious dictatorship and establish a secular democracy.
An “Exceptional Moment”
The conference opened against the backdrop of a regime described by speakers as being in free-fall. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi characterized the current situation as an “exceptional moment,” defined by economic collapse, regional isolation, and an irreversible crisis of legitimacy for the ruling mullahs.
“The regime has only one trajectory: downfall,” Rajavi stated. She argued that the collapse of Tehran’s regional “Axis of Resistance” and the nationwide expansion of protests have left the Supreme Leader devoid of any capacity for reform. However, she warned that this weakness has driven the regime toward unprecedented brutality.
Conference in the European Parliament on International #HumanRightsDay#StandUp4HumanRights pic.twitter.com/8dJfHepB7D
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) December 10, 2025
Rajavi reported that the judiciary carried out “335 executions” in November alone, a figure she cited as proof that the regime now “hangs human rights every single day.” She highlighted the immediate threat facing 18 political prisoners currently on death row, sentenced solely for their support of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
“Never before have the mullahs been so much in need of intensifying repression because never before have they felt so close to being overthrown,” Rajavi told the assembly.
The Collapse of Appeasement
A recurring theme among the speakers was the categorical failure of Western diplomatic strategies that prioritize engagement over accountability. Former Belgian Prime Minister and MEP Guy Verhofstadt was blunt, stating that years of appeasement have “achieved nothing at all.”
Verhofstadt pointed to the killing of more than 2,600 protesters in the last sixteen months as evidence that the regime is immune to moderation. He urged the EU to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and to implement sanctions specifically tied to the execution of political prisoners.
Italian Senator and former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi reinforced this view, suggesting that the regime’s brutality—exemplified by the killing of 46 prisoners in just five days—is a symptom of extreme weakness. “We have to admit that it is impossible” to moderate the regime, Renzi concluded. He argued that the only viable path forward is to support the democratic movement led by Rajavi, whose credibility is now recognized both inside and outside Iran.
The “Third Option”: No to Shah, No to Mullahs
With diplomacy failing and war undesirable, the conference coalesced around the NCRI’s “Third Option”: regime change enacted by the Iranian people. Crucially, speakers emphasized that this movement rejects all forms of dictatorship, past and present.
“Iranian society will neither return to the Shah’s dictatorship nor remain trapped under clerical rule,” Rajavi declared.
MEP Leoluca Orlando highlighted the PMOI’s sixty-year history of resistance, noting that the organization fought against the Shah’s SAVAK just as it fights against the mullahs’ IRGC today. He stated that this dual rejection demonstrates that Iranians refuse to accept autocracy, “whichever symbol—crown or clerical authority—it carries.”
MEP Pekka Toveri reinforced this, asserting that Iran’s future “is a democratic secular republic.” He warned that the international community must respect the Iranian people’s vision for a future free of hereditary or divine rulers. Toveri also noted that the resistance is not spontaneous; he described the PMOI Resistance Units as “a structural struggle for democratic change” capable of coordinating strikes under lethal surveillance.
Former MEP Ryszard Czarnecki cited specific operations, such as the burning of regime propaganda, as proof that “the Iranian people will not surrender.”
Fears of a New Massacre
The urgency of the session was underscored by fears that Tehran is preparing for a mass purge similar to the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. MEP Francisco Assis warned that the recent surge in death sentences is a harbinger of a “potential new massacre.” He argued that Europe cannot afford to repeat the “failure” of silence that occurred decades ago and called for a suspension of diplomatic relations until executions cease.
MEP Petras Auštrevičius urged the EU to work with the NCRI on universal jurisdiction cases to prosecute regime officials, citing substantial evidence gathered by the UN Fact-Finding Mission.
Former MEP Paulo Casaca concluded the calls for justice by describing the regime’s judges and prosecutors as “criminals against humanity.” He demanded a global blacklist and sanctions against those facilitating the execution spree, arguing that such pressure is essential to strengthen the Iranian people’s struggle “under the leadership of Madam Rajavi.” The consensus in Brussels was clear: the window for ambiguity has closed, and Europe must now align with the organized resistance seeking a democratic republic.
