On Saturday, February 7, 2026, on the anniversary of the 1979 anti-monarchical revolution, freedom-loving Iranians held a magnificent march and rally at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. This gathering was held in solidarity with the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people and to commemorate the martyrs of January 2026.
At this rally, Iranian communities abroad, supporters of democratic change, and international political figures came together to reject all forms of dictatorship, whether monarchical or religious, and to support a democratic future shaped by the Iranian people themselves.
Mrs. Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, a prominent German politician and former Federal Minister of Justice of Germany, was one of the speakers at this gathering.
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger: Women in Iran Must Be Able to Protest in the Streets Without Fear of Disappearance
Dear Mrs. Rajavi, dear Mr. Charles Michel, dear Mr. Peter Altmaier, and dear friends who have gathered here to fight for a free Iran and to express your views candidly before public opinion; I sincerely thank you.
We are standing in the right place: next to the Brandenburg Gate. This is the very place where the dreams of millions of people who lived under repression in a divided Germany became reality, people who were oppressed, denied the right to express their opinions, and imprisoned.
And we know that today in Iran, people are arrested, tortured, killed, and executed simply because they take to the streets to demand freedom. What this clerical regime is criminally and brutally inflicting upon its own citizens in Iran is absolutely intolerable.
Dear friends,
That is precisely why we are here today. We are here because what the Iranian people have endured in recent weeks must not be forgotten.
Many events occur in the world, and sometimes certain issues are pushed to the margins; but every day we must keep in mind the courage of the Iranian people, how they came out into the streets and risked their lives in the struggle for regime change. Their slogans are: “Death to the clerical regime,” “Forward toward freedom,” and “The right to live in the way they choose.”
Yes, friends, realizing these demands is more necessary than ever. Exactly what Mrs. Rajavi calls for, and what you are demanding: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, free elections, separation of religion and state, and an end to religious repression based on claims of absolutism that have become unbearable.
And finally, women’s enjoyment of the right to live as they wish, to study and receive an education, and to be present in the streets without compulsory hijab and without fear of disappearing for years in torture chambers.
We are here for this goal. We have a completely clear message for the mullahs: you have no place in this world. This regime must be isolated by all countries. Isolation means that this regime should become a “pariah state,” so that no one dares to sit at the same table with the mullahs.
At present, some are negotiating; in Oman, talks are taking place between Iranians and Americans about the nuclear agreement. But if any dialogue is to take place, what must be the first topic raised? The first demand must be this: “Immediately release the prisoners in Iran who were arrested for peacefully being present in the streets for freedom and who were violently massacred.” This must be the precondition for any dialogue.
Therefore, our message from here is this: negotiations cannot continue and then return to business as usual. Decisive steps must now be taken to place the criminal clerical regime under far more severe pressure, certainly through sanctions, and especially targeted sanctions. Also by stopping the financial flows that still pour money into the pockets of the mullahs.
All of these measures can be taken without military confrontation and can increase pressure on the mullahs. Only in this way can the realization of your vision, dear Mrs. Rajavi, and that of you members of the NCRI, be helped to become a reality.
Your presence here today and the message you have brought for a free Iran and the establishment of a democratic republic are encouraging. No to the Islamic Republic; no to these mullahs, who have shown that human lives have no value to them and that they think only of power. The people of Iran do not deserve such a situation.
I sincerely thank you for your support and presence. I wish you all the best. We will not forget what is happening in Iran, and we will strive to keep these issues constantly before public opinion in Europe, Germany, and beyond. With many thanks, and with wishes for success and victory.
