“No to Shah, No to Mullahs” – Exiles and supporters unite behind NCRI as democratic alternative to dictatorship
Rome, Italy – July 16, 2026
Thousands of Iranians and supporters gathered in Rome today for a major rally organized by free Iranians, calling for an end to executions and the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran.
In a video message to the gathering, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), reaffirmed the movement’s vision for a secular, democratic Iran based on her 10-Point Plan. The plan emphasizes gender equality, the abolition of the death penalty, a non-nuclear Iran, and the separation of religion and state.
Message to the gathering of Free Iranians in Italy
No to Executions, Yes to a Democratic RepublicThe solution lies in the very force and rival that has, for 48 years, driven the regime to the depths of ruin and the verge of overthrow.
The solution is the overthrow of this… pic.twitter.com/ZGzWKRGhBn— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 16, 2026
Key Speeches at the Rally
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani stressed:
“We are on the verge of major change… Forty-seven years of negotiating with this regime have only brought more death. The organized resistance and the NCRI, with its clear political program, offer the path forward. The Iranian people will reclaim their country.”
The rally strongly rejected both the former monarchical dictatorship and the current theocratic regime, positioning the NCRI and Maryam Rajavi’s leadership as the democratic alternative. Participants chanted in support of a “Free Iran” and the 10-Point Plan.
