From the 2017 uprising to today, the people of Iran stand against all forms of dictatorship—freedom for all.
Thousands of Iranians gathered on Friday, January 9, 2026, in Brussels, outside the European Union headquarters. This demonstration marked the thirteenth day of the nationwide uprising in Iran, with participants coming together to show their support for the ongoing protests.
At the event, Sarvnaz Chitsaz, Chair of the Women’s Committee of the NCRI, joined over ten other speakers and prominent figures in expressing solidarity with the Iranian people. In her remarks, she voiced support for the protesters’ demands and aspirations, while denouncing all forms of dictatorship.
The full speech by Sarvnaz Chitsaz at the rally follows:
Fellow Iranians, supporters of the Iranian Resistance, sisters and brothers,
What a remarkable moment this is! We witness the people rising up, with rebellious youths leading the way and the extraordinary bravery of young Iranians on full display. With cries of “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei,” they have taken to the streets and neighborhoods, seizing control. Centers of repression and looting are set ablaze in their fury, forcing the regime’s mercenaries and Revolutionary Guards to flee.
This is the very people determined to overthrow the mullahs’ regime and establish a democratic republic. This is the final message: the entire regime is the target.
In March 2025, the Resistance leader, Mr. Massoud Rajavi, declared: “We have entered the most critical, sensitive, and turbulent phase—the phase of determining the fate of our people against the regime of the Velayat-e Faqih and its accomplices and mercenaries. The sheer scale, intensity, and speed of events in this stormy sea define this revolutionary moment.”
Today marks the thirteenth day of the courageous uprising by the Iranian people and Resistance Units. In 145 cities across Iran, people have taken to the streets: honorable merchants, university students, women and men, young and old—all raising their voices for freedom. Khamenei and his criminal Revolutionary Guards have miscalculated if they believe that firing directly at the heads and eyes of young protesters, abducting the wounded from hospital beds, and arresting or executing teenagers could stop this movement.
No—this is a dead end for the regime. It is the dead end of overthrow. These crimes do not silence the movement; they fuel it, drawing dozens more into the struggle.
As the Resistance Leader has said, although the enemy’s claws are sharp and its forces stand ready to repress, the regime has become a paper tiger. The rebellious lions will tear this system apart, piece by piece.
And to those who believe they can derail this uprising through media propaganda and fabricated slogans, we say this: the people of Iran answered you long ago, not just today, but since the 2017 uprising, by rejecting every form of dictatorship. Their message is clear: death to the oppressor, be it the shah or the (mullahs’) leader.
The nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, rejecting both monarchy and theocratic rule, did not begin thirteen days ago. It began on June 20, 1981, with a popular uprising, and today we stand at the end of a long, painful, and blood-soaked journey. In just the past twelve days of this uprising, many of Resistance Units and courageous young people have been killed in confrontations with the Revolutionary Guards. The names of 52 of those who lost their lives have already been made public.
Yes, while the loss of every single life weighs heavily on our hearts, we know that freedom is won only through immense sacrifice. And truly, what a proud generation this is: a generation that stands with awareness and courage, resisting not only on the battlefield, but also in prisons and at the gallows.
Before every fallen martyr, before every red flower of Iran’s fields of sacrifice, we pledge to fight until our last breath and our last drop of blood, to reclaim Iran.
In this uprising, cities have risen that have long burned under the poverty and deprivation imposed by this regime. Their names are less known, but in these days their bravery and heroism have etched them into the memory of Iran and the world. From the heroes of Azna to Malekshahi, Lumar, Fooladshahr, and many other cities, these are the rebellious cities that have struck fear into the heart of the regime.
As Mrs. Maryam Rajavi stated, forty-seven years ago, at this very time, the Shah’s SAVAK, the Imperial Guard, and his heavily armed forces failed to save his regime in the face of a popular uprising. Today, the Revolutionary Guards and the repressive forces of Khamenei will likewise fail to keep his rule alive any longer.
The solidarity of all segments of society, the tidal wave of people in the streets, together with the Resistance Units and the rebellious youths, through the continuation of an organized uprising, will ultimately bring down Khamenei, realize a historic transformation, and free Iran.
Death to Khamenei.
Hail to Rajavi.
Long live freedom.
