Iran At A Crossroads: From Brutality To Democracy – OpEd
Across the world, Iranians in exile have taken to the streets to remind the international community of a truth too often ignored: there is an alternative to the regime ruling Iran with brutality and fear. I have joined them, even while balancing the demands of teaching, research, and family life. This struggle is not easy, but it is necessary. For decades, the Iranian people have paid a heavy price through imprisonment, execution, and systematic suppression for daring to dream of freedom. Today, they are closer than ever to realising that dream. The world must recognise that Iran is ready to become a free, democratic, secular republic, one that can live in peace and harmony with the international community.
On September 6, tens of thousands of Iranians and supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) will gather in Brussels for the Free Iran March, a powerful demonstration against the Iranian regime’s escalating brutality. This rally is not just a protest, it is a moral imperative, a call for Europe to act before history repeats itself.
Since Masoud Pezeshkian took office in August 2024, Iran has witnessed a horrifying surge in executions. Nearly 1,600 people have been executed in just 12 months, including women, juvenile offenders, and political prisoners. In last 30 days, at least 162 people were hanged, many in public, and only 4% of executions were officially acknowledged, reflecting a deliberate strategy of secrecy and terror1.
Among the victims are Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, members of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the principal opposition movement in Iran, sentenced to death after sham trials lasting mere minutes, and sentenced to death for their affiliation with the PMOI. Their cases, along with dozens of others, have prompted over 530 international experts, including Nobel laureates and former UN officials, to issue an urgent appeal to the United Nations to halt the executions and prevent a repeat of the 1988 massacre.
That massacre, in which over 30,000 political prisoners mostly members and activists of the PMOI/MEK were executed following a fatwa by Khomeini, the then Supreme Leader, is now being echoed not only in rhetoric but in action. State-run media, including FARS News Agency, have openly called for a repeat of the 1988 killings, framing dissent as a threat to national security. The Ahvaz Revolutionary Court recently sentenced three MEK activists to death after years of torture. Additionally, five other political prisoners on death row Vahid Bani Amerian (33), Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi (59), Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvar Kar (58), Babak Alipour (34), and Pouya Ghobadi Basetouni (33) all affiliated with the MEK, have been forcibly transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison, a known execution site, and are on imminent danger.
The regime’s war on memory is also intensifying. In a grotesque act of historical erasure, authorities have begun destroying Section 41 of Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery, the burial site of many 1980’s massacre victims. Bulldozers have razed the graves, turning the sacred ground into a parking lot. Families are barred from mourning. This is not just desecration it is a crime against humanity, a continuation of the massacre itself.
The Free Iran March is a response to this brutality. It is a declaration that the Iranian people will not be silenced. It is a demand that Europe stand with the victims, not their executioners.
The rally will feature speeches by prominent figures including former Prime Minister of Belgium, and equally distinguished speakers from various countries in Europe and America, alongside representatives of hundreds of Iranian associations. Their presence underscores the global significance of this movement.
Europe must act. The snapback mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal allows France, Germany, or the UK to reimpose all suspended UN sanctions. This is not just a diplomatic tool it is a lifeline for a nation suffocating under tyranny.
On September 6, Brussels will not just be a city, it will be the gathering place of hope. I invite people from every corner of Europe to join us, so together our voices for freedom in Iran will resonate in every parliament, every chancellery, and every conscience on this continent.
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