On February 7, 2026, at the Brandenburg Gate, tens of thousands of Iranians and supporters of the Iranian Resistance rallied in Berlin, drawing a symbolic parallel to Germany’s own fight against censorship and political imprisonment.

Ms. Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, Germany’s former Federal Minister of Justice, described the gathering as a warning to Europe not to turn a blind eye while Iranians face arrest, torture, and execution for protesting. She called for Tehran’s clerical leadership to be treated as a “pariah” and advocated a decisive increase in pressure through isolation, targeted sanctions, and the cutting of financial flows—stressing that this escalation does not necessitate war.

Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger emphasized that diplomatic engagement, including indirect nuclear talks, must begin with a clear human-rights demand: the immediate release of detainees. She aligned this call with Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s Ten-Point Plan, which champions free expression, free assembly, democratic elections, the separation of religion and state, and women’s rights as the ultimate measure of democratic reform.

The full text of Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger’s speech follows:

Dear Mrs. Rajavi, dear Charles Michel, dear Peter Altmaier, dear friends who are here to fight for a free Iran and to clearly present your views to the public. Thank you very much for being here!

We are in the right place, at the Brandenburg Gate. This is where the hopes of millions of people who were oppressed in a divided Germany were fulfilled—people who were suppressed, unable to speak their minds, and imprisoned.

We know that in Iran, people are being arrested, tortured, murdered, and executed because they take to the streets for freedom. What this mullahs’ regime is criminally and brutally inflicting on its own citizens in Iran cannot be accepted. That is why we are here, dear friends.

We are here because we must not forget what has happened to the people in Iran in recent weeks [during the nationwide uprising]. So much is happening in the world, and many things are being pushed aside. But every day, we must keep in mind how bravely the people in Iran took to the streets and risked their lives to fight for a regime change.

Away with the mullahs! Finally freedom, finally a life lived as one wishes. Yes, it is overdue for this to happen, dear friends.

This is exactly what Mrs. Rajavi demands, what you demand: finally freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, free elections, and the separation of religion and state. No more oppression by religion with an unbearable claim to absolute power.

And finally, rights for women: to live as they want, to be allowed to learn, to be able to study, and to go out on the streets without a headscarf—without having to fear disappearing into torture chambers for years.

That is why we are here. A very clear message to the mullahs: You have no place in this world. This regime must be isolated by all states. It must be isolated because, as Mr. Kermani says, it is a pariah that one no longer dares to sit at a table with.

At the moment, some are sitting at a table. Negotiations are taking place via Oman with the Iranians and with Americans regarding the nuclear deal. But what belongs in such talks, if they are already taking place?

The first demand must be: Release the detainees in Iran who were imprisoned because they took to the streets for their freedom—non-violently—and were then brutally massacred. That must be the first demand if one is to even begin to hold talks.

Therefore, the message from here is: One cannot continue with negotiations and then return to business as usual. Decisive steps must now be taken so that the mullahs’ criminal regime comes under much stronger pressure.

This includes sanctions, of course—specifically targeted sanctions—and certainly stopping the financial flows that still funnel money into the pockets of the mullahs. All of this can be done without leading to military conflict, while increasing the pressure on the mullahs.

Only this will help to actually realize the vision held by you, dear Mrs. Rajavi, and the Iranian Resistance.

It gives us hope that you are here today with the message for a free Iran and finally for a democratic republic. Away with the Islamic Republic!

Away with this Islamic Republic! Away with these mullahs who have shown that human lives do not count for them, only power. The people in Iran do not deserve this.

Thank you very much for your support and for coming. All the best; our best wishes are always with you. We do not forget what is happening in Iran, and we will try to permanently bring it to the public eye in Europe, in Germany, and beyond.

Thank you very much, all the best, and much success.