Honoring the Fallen and Renewing a Commitment to Freedom
Copenhagen, Denmark – September 4, 2026: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Copenhagen to mark the 61st anniversary of the PMOI’s founding.
Alongside commemorating the anniversary, they renewed their pledge to honor the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom—from the organization’s three founders to more than 100,000 PMOI members and supporters killed under the clerical dictatorship, as well as those who have lost their lives in Iran’s nationwide uprisings.
They pledged to continue their struggle in support of the PMOI until freedom, democracy, and justice are achieved and a democratic republic is established in Iran, with particular emphasis on supporting the PMOI’s Resistance Units inside the country and the courageous political prisoners who continue to stand against the regime from within its prisons and voice their support for the PMOI and its Resistance Units.
The Historical Background: A Struggle That Began Under the Shah
The anniversary dates back to September 6, 1965, when Mohammad Hanifnejad, Saeid Mohsen, and Ali Asghar Badizadegan founded the organization under the rule of the Shah.
The organization took shape at a time when the Shah had suppressed organized opposition through SAVAK. Its founders believed that the struggle for freedom required a permanent and organized movement. They viewed political struggle as a discipline that needed to be studied, understood, and learned.
This history also helps explain the significance of another slogan featured in the latest activities: “The great achievement of the organization’s founders was establishing an organization with honesty and sacrifice as its guiding principles.”
