The large demonstration of freedom-loving Iranians took place in Munich on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Odeon Square, simultaneous with the Munich Security Conference. The main slogan of the demonstrators was “No Shah no Mullah, overthrow the clerical dictatorship and establish a democratic republic in Iran.”
This demonstration was a manifestation of the iron will of the people of Iran to reclaim their national sovereignty and emphasized the connection between global security and the realization of freedom and justice in Iran. The timing of this gathering alongside the Munich Security Conference highlights an important truth: security without considering the voices of oppressed people of Iran is meaningless and becomes merely a diplomatic mirage.
Ms. Nina Pesyan, director of the Iranian Women’s Association in Germany, addressed the gathering, the text of which follows:
Nina Pesyan: Women and Men Across Iran Defend Freedom and Justice
In the name of freedom, in the name of humanity, in the name of justice, and in the name of the blood that has flowed on the soil of our homeland.
We speak today of a nation that, at the beginning of 2026, rose up to claim its right to freedom and shouted for liberty, a cry that emerged from years of suffering, discrimination, and oppression.
A few days ago, tens of thousands in a massive demonstration in Berlin declared to the world: “By the blood of our companions, we will stand to the end.”
This demonstration represented an unprecedented consensus among the people of Iran in rejecting both the Shah and the Mullah. Both religious despotism and royal tyranny denied the rights of ethnic minorities in Iran. In the Berlin demonstration, Kurdish, Arab, Baloch, Turkmen, and Persian brothers and sisters spoke with one voice: they want neither the Shah nor the Mullah and will stand firm until the end.
As the granddaughter of Colonel Mohammad-Taqi Khan Pesyan, I echo the unified call of the people of Iran across all 31 provinces: “honorable Iranian versus a dishonorable Pahlavi.”
All ethnic groups in Iran, including Kurds, Arabs, Baloch, Turkmen, and Azerbaijanis, as well as regions such as Lorestan, Bakhtiari, and Qashqai, have bitter memories of the repression under the monarchy. Large parts of these populations were brutally suppressed by Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah; thousands were forcibly displaced to break their ethnic concentration. Therefore, there is no place for any monarchy in Iran.
The streets and alleys of Iran have witnessed the blood of young people whose only crime was their desire for freedom. A generation faced bullets but did not bow their heads. Today, across Iran, women and men continue to stand in defense of freedom and justice. Resistance units emphasize the right to self-defense, and this right must be recognized.
The Iranian Resistance has demonstrated that it does not seek war but demands peace and life in dignity, dignity that has been trampled by this regime. A government that responds with repression loses its legitimacy. For years, this regime has waged an unjust and unequal war against its defenseless people of Iran.
Our message to the United States, Europe, and all countries that claim to defend democracy and human rights, and who have gathered at the Munich Security Conference, is clear: in historical moments, there is no neutrality or silence. There is only one choice, and that is to support the people of Iran and their resistance.
The people of Iran want their voices to be heard. They want the legitimacy of their demands to be recognized, and the democratic opposition, the NCRI, to be acknowledged as the representative of the people of Iran.
The people of Iran do not want the world to fight for them; they want the world to stand with the truth. Their rightful resistance, without foreign military intervention and with recognition of the right to legitimate defense, can overthrow this criminal regime.
The future of Iran will be based on justice, equality, secularism, and respect for human and civil rights, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or political orientation. The goal is to establish a republic founded on the vote of the people, based on Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
Long live freedom, long live the Resistance Units, long live the Democratic Republic of Iran, and greetings to you all.
