At The Second Free Iran 2025 Conference on May 31, 2025, former Dutch Member of the European Parliament Derk Jan Eppink delivered a powerful address in support of the Iranian Resistance and Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a democratic Iran. The event brought together global political figures, lawmakers, and human rights advocates united in opposition to the Iranian regime and in support of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Eppink began by acknowledging the residents of Ashraf 3, reaffirming solidarity with their ongoing struggle. He strongly condemned Iran’s regime for its appalling human rights record, highlighting Amnesty International’s data that Iran was responsible for 64% of all documented executions in 2024, despite comprising just 1% of the global population. He warned that 2025 has already shown a troubling increase in executions.

He also raised alarm over Iran’s ongoing terror activities on European soil, referencing targeted assassinations and plots against Iranian dissidents in the Netherlands. Eppink emphasized that supporting the Resistance is not only a moral imperative but also crucial for safeguarding European security.

Urging an end to the policy of appeasement, Eppink endorsed Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a concrete and credible roadmap to democratic change. “A democratic Iran,” he stated, “would transform the region — for the better — across both the Middle East and Europe.”

.@djeppink: Condemning the regime isn’t enough—we need action. I stand with the brave people of Iran who’ve endured decades of oppression. Hope lies in @Maryam_Rajavi’s #FreeIran10PointPlan, a vision Dutch senators have endorsed.#NCRIAlternative
https://t.co/VwWtDZndlE

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) May 31, 2025

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the speech for clarity and readability.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for having invited me.

And let me also send my greetings to the people of Ashraf 3. I experienced your hospitality a few years ago, and you need to know: we are here for you and for the people of Iran and their liberation. The Iranian regime holds a grim record. It is the world’s number one executioner — per capita, unfortunately.

According to Amnesty International, last year 64% of all documented executions worldwide took place in Iran — a country that accounts for just 1% of the global population.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is barbaric. Everyone agrees on this. But what’s even more alarming is that in 2025 — this very year — the situation is getting worse. Executions are rising at an alarming rate. The world cannot remain silent.

There can be no business as usual with a regime that shows no respect for its own citizens. And if that weren’t enough, the regime’s terror has also reached Europe.

Our own Dutch security service — the AIVD — has concluded that the Iranian state was most likely behind terror plots on European soil. Including in the Netherlands, various Iranian dissidents have been murdered — shot in the street.

Even recently, contract killers tried to assassinate an Iranian dissident. The hit was contracted by Iran. Fortunately, the police intervened in time — thanks to a security device.

So we are not only defending the rights of the Iranian people as a matter of universal principle — we are also defending our own security and sovereignty.

But condemnation is not enough. We need action. We need clarity. And that is why I am here today.

We must stand with the brave people of Iran — those who have endured decades of oppression and refused to give up. We must stand with those offering real hope for a better future. This is the message of Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.

It is also the message that Dutch senators have endorsed. The Ten-Point Plan is a clear and feasible roadmap toward democracy in Iran.

So we must remain persistent.

Recently, there was strong wording from President Trump, saying that Iran will never be a nuclear power.

This is very important for stability in the Middle East. But that is exactly what the Ayatollahs are aiming for — nuclear weapons as regime life insurance.

That’s what makes the current regime in Tehran so dangerous — not only for Iran’s people but for the entire world.

An Iran ruled by the Ayatollahs is a permanent global threat. But a democratic Iran — as envisioned in the Ten-Point Plan of Mrs. Rajavi — is the key to solving many conflicts, both in the Middle East and in Europe.

A democratic Iran will be a game changer — for the good. And your Ten-Point Plan, Madam Rajavi, will make it happen.

Merci.