Speaking at the Free Iran 2026 World Summit, Italian Member of Parliament Naike Gruppioni argued that remaining neutral in the face of repression and human rights violations amounts to complicity rather than impartiality. She stressed that democratic nations have a responsibility to support those seeking freedom and political change in Iran, warning that silence or inaction only benefits authoritarian systems. Gruppioni described the current situation in Iran as a critical test of the international community’s commitment to democratic values and human rights, urging governments to adopt a more principled and proactive approach toward the country’s ongoing political crisis.
The Italian lawmaker expressed strong support for Maryam Rajavi and her vision for a democratic and secular Iran, presenting it as a credible alternative to the current ruling system. She rejected claims that no viable democratic option exists for Iran’s future, arguing that such narratives overlook the efforts of organized opposition groups and the aspirations of millions of Iranians seeking change. According to Gruppioni, the existence of a structured political platform based on democratic principles demonstrates that a peaceful and representative transition is both possible and achievable.
Gruppioni also highlighted the importance of fundamental freedoms, gender equality, and the separation of religion and state as essential pillars of a future democratic Iran. She praised the role of Iranian women in the struggle for political and social change and emphasized that any lasting solution must guarantee equal rights and opportunities for all citizens. Referring to Maryam Rajavi’s political program, she noted that its emphasis on pluralism, tolerance, and democratic governance offers a clear framework for the country’s future development.
Concluding her remarks, Naike Gruppioni called on democratic governments and international institutions to move beyond neutrality and actively support the Iranian people’s aspirations for freedom and self-determination. She maintained that recognizing and engaging with democratic alternatives is essential to advancing meaningful change and helping Iran move toward a future founded on democracy, justice, and respect for human rights.
.@naike_gruppioni Italian MP: The Iranian people’s desire for freedom is stronger than the regime’s fear. Their future will be written by them, not by the ayatollahs’ religious dictatorship. #100KFreeIranRally #OurChoiceMaryamRajavi #NCRIAlternative https://t.co/WaqKSsBzS1
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) June 20, 2026
A translated version of Naike Gruppioni’s speech follows:
Thank you. Madam President Rajavi, distinguished colleagues, dear friends of Ashraf 3.
Today, I speak with profound respect and with the sense of responsibility that this historic moment demands.
I am here to state a simple truth: the Iranian people’s desire for freedom is stronger than the fear the regime tries to impose.
The cause of freedom in Iran is not a distant issue, but a universal cause.
It is the battle of all those who believe in human dignity, democracy, and fundamental rights.
For this reason, I extend my greetings to the women and men of the Iranian Resistance and to all those who, inside and outside of Iran, continue to fight for a democratic future.
Even when, as unfortunately happens today, a demonstration is prevented, freedom always finds another way.
And today, here, we make a difference, and we are the proof of this.
#Italian MP @naike_gruppioni calls for global action against the #Iranian regime’s crimes, urging sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and unwavering support for Iranian civil society. pic.twitter.com/JwddjjHcKn
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 1, 2024
No ban can stop a people who have decided to rise up. No repression can erase hope.
It is only the Iranian people who will write the future of Iran and end the religious dictatorship of the ayatollahs.
No people desire war, and neither do the Iranian people.
But let me say this clearly: this tragedy has a specific culprit, and it is the theocratic regime of the ayatollahs.
This regime represses women, persecutes dissidents, imprisons opponents, and continues to use the death penalty as an instrument of power.
This regime does not represent Iran. It does not represent its history, its youth, its women, or its future.
The real Iran is that of the brave women who defy oppression, of the young people who demand freedom, of those who continue to resist despite everything.
For this reason, we look with respect to the Iranian Resistance and to those who keep the hope of a democratic change alive.
A special tribute goes to Iranian women. You have transformed pain into strength, fear into courage, and discrimination into an extraordinary battle for freedom.
Your struggle truly concerns us all.
Today, I wish to pay a special tribute to Mrs. Rajavi, who in these difficult years has demonstrated courage, determination, and an extraordinary political vision.
When many of us chose silence, she continued to give voice to the voiceless.
When the regime tried to extinguish all hope, she continued to point to a possible path toward freedom.
Today, Maryam Rajavi represents the most authoritative point of reference for the Iranian democratic opposition and the most credible expression of a free, democratic, and secular alternative to the dictatorship of the ayatollahs.
For this reason, we all consider her commitment a political and moral asset for all those who believe in Iran’s freedom.
And for this reason, I will continue to support [her] action and promote [her] vision in Italian and European institutional venues. The international community must listen to this voice.
Italian MP @naike_gruppioni: “Thanks to the strength, courage, and determination of #Iranian women… I am certain that one day, #equality between women and men will be a reality, a historic reality even in that part of the world.” pic.twitter.com/W8JFjCtm4Z
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 18, 2024
The time of ambiguity must end, and there can no longer be neutrality between those who oppress and those who fight for freedom.
There can be no silence in the face of executions, there can be no indifference in the face of repression.
And now, as an Italian parliamentarian, I would like to make a very specific political commitment.
I will continue to denounce the regime of the ayatollahs in every national and international institutional venue.
I will continue to call for sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations.
We will continue to demand the release of political prisoners and the immediate cessation of executions.
We will continue to support the right of the Iranian people to freely choose their own future.
And, above all, I will continue to support the political action of President Rajavi and the democratic project she represents.
Neutrality in the face of injustice is complicity, and we cannot allow this.
Dear friends, I conclude with a wish.
No dictatorship is eternal. Every regime based on fear is destined to fall.
That day will also come for Iran, and it will come soon.
And when it arrives, the world must be able to say it was on the right side of history.
I have chosen which side to be on: on the side of freedom, on the side of the Iranian people, on the side of the women who rebel against oppression, on the side of Maryam Rajavi and of all those who work for a democratic, free, and sovereign Iran.
Long live the Iranian Resistance! Long live a free, democratic, and sovereign Iran!
Long live freedom! Thank you!
