Former Member of the European Parliament Paulo Casaca addressed the second day of the Free Iran 2026 World Summit in Paris on June 21, reaffirming his longstanding support for the Iranian Resistance and expressing confidence in the movement’s future.
Reflecting on more than two decades of engagement with the Iranian Resistance, Casaca recalled events in 2003, when, he said, the Iranian authorities sought to weaken the movement through arrests and international political pressure. He argued that those efforts ultimately failed and maintained that similar strategies have continued without achieving their intended objectives.
Casaca also criticized the current leadership in Tehran, describing recent political developments as attempts to preserve a system that, in his view, has lost public legitimacy. He said continued public protests demonstrate widespread dissatisfaction among many Iranians and argued that the government no longer enjoys broad popular support.
Addressing members of the Iranian Resistance based in Albania and NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, Casaca expressed optimism about the movement’s prospects. He predicted that Iran would eventually move toward democratic governance and praised Rajavi’s leadership, describing her as a leading figure in the effort to achieve political change. He concluded by voicing confidence that the Iranian Resistance would continue to play a significant role in the country’s future.
The full text of Paulo Casaca‘s speech follows:
Dear Madam Maryam Rajavi,
Dear Ashrafians that are listening to us from Albania,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I do remember, nearly 23 years ago, the 3rd of July, 2003. It was my very first time here in Auvers-sur-Oise.
The day before, the 2nd of July, 2003, as I was speaking to the press for the release of Madam Maryam Rajavi, I was interrupted saying, “Well, she was just put out of prison.”
And the next day, I was here for my very first time.
And Struan [Stevenson] already said that, and many people stressed it, these were difficult times.
They thought that they would crush and eliminate the Iranian Resistance. They put hundreds in prison. They persecuted. They wanted to get rid of any opposition to the Iranian despotic regime.
Terrorist list—for ages, we fought it, everywhere, every day. And they lost, and they were wrong.
And now, they are trying to do it again. They learned nothing. They understood nothing. They are absolutely dead wrong.
This regime, forget about the theatrics. The religious leader is dead. They suffered a major blow.
They have this Islamic Revolutionary Guard [Corps], these armed people, but they have no legitimacy.
The people hate them. The Iranian people went to the streets showing their hate for them. Forget about the theatrics and the comings and goings.
These guys that are tyrannizing your country, plus the other clowns that appear trying to pretend they are opposition, they are finished.
You will be free sooner rather than later.
Iran will rise again as an example for the whole world for freedom and democracy with the very best political leader I have ever met in my life, Maryam Rajavi.