At a massive demonstration in New York City on September 23, 2025, Carla Sands, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, delivered a powerful speech condemning Iran’s regime. She highlighted that nearly 1,800 executions have been carried out under President Masoud Pezeshkian, describing the government as “terrified of its own people.” Addressing thousands gathered outside the United Nations, Sands declared: “The Iranian people have been silenced inside their country. But here, their voices are heard loudly, clearly, and with urgency.”

Sands underscored that the regime’s greatest fear stems from the strength of the organized Resistance. She reminded the audience that it was the MEK that first revealed Tehran’s secret nuclear weapons program, noting that the regime’s efforts to vilify the group prove its existential threat to the clerical rulers. She praised NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi for her “unwavering commitment” and her leadership in elevating women to senior roles within the movement. Sands also endorsed Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, calling it a “roadmap to freedom rooted in equality and justice.”

Rejecting monarchist claims as an alternative, Sands stated firmly: “The people will not trade a turban for a crown. Reza Pahlavi’s plan is not democracy, it’s dictatorship.” She concluded by stressing that the only viable path forward lies with the Iranian people and their organized Resistance.

.@CarlaHSands: Iranians rejected Shah & Mullahs alike. They won’t trade a turban for a crown.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #OurChoiceMaryamRajavi #NCRIAlternative https://t.co/22V7tLwmmh

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) September 23, 2025

The full text of Amb. Carla Stands’ speech follows:

Good morning! Good morning! My friends, my fellow freedom lovers, and you, the courageous Iranian community gathered here today. There is so much joy here today. And yes, there is so much righteous anger here today. It is my profound honor to stand with you here at the United Nations, in the heart of New York City, and to speak the truth about Iran and the enduring struggle for freedom. A struggle that has spanned six decades. Thank you for coming from all over the world.

We are here today because the Iranian people have been silenced inside their own country. But here, right here, their voices are heard loudly, clearly, and with urgency. Let’s begin with the regime’s most brutal weapon: mass executions. In August alone, the Iranian regime executed 170 people. Think about that. 170 lives extinguished in just one month. And in July, two members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the MEK, were executed. And today 15 more face imminent death. This is not justice.

Honored to speak to the Iranian patriots of ⁦⁦@iran_policy⁩ fighting for FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY in IRAN. pic.twitter.com/BeEWy4i8Iv

— Carla Sands (@CarlaHSands) September 23, 2025

This is murder. Systemic, state-sanctioned murder by a regime terrified of its own people. And under the so-called moderate president, Masoud Pezeshkian, nearly 1800 executions have already taken place. This is the highest number under any president since the 1988 mass executions of thousands of political prisoners. So let’s be clear. Pezeshkian has no place at the United Nations. And he should not be welcomed in New York City.

The Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and all their accomplices, must be brought before an international court and held accountable for four decades of crimes against humanity and genocide. The clerical rulers of Tehran are trying to drown the cries for liberty in blood. But no matter how many they hang, the people’s yearning for freedom only grows stronger. And while this vile regime tightens its grip at home, it continues to deceive the world abroad.

Once again, Tehran is engaged in endless nuclear talks. But let’s be honest, these are not negotiations. They’re delay tactics, designed to buy time and inch them closer to nuclear weapons capability. Every day of delay, every concession, brings the world closer to a nuclear-armed theocracy. And that’s not just a threat to the Iranian people, this is a regional and global threat to our peace and security. The international community must stop rewarding this regime for its lies. The only safe policy is strength and maximum pressure.

Now let me address another danger, the illusion of false alternatives. Some seek to revive failed monarchies of the past. Reza Pahlavi presents himself as a future leader. But let’s examine his so-called roadmap. His plan is a plan for dictatorship, dressed in modern slogans: centralized power in one man, no elections, no accountability. This is not democracy, it’s dictatorship. The Iranian people have already rejected both the Shah and the Mullahs. They will not go backward. They will not trade a turban for a crown. They threw out monarchy 46 years ago, and they will not resurrect it.

But there is a real alternative. A democratic alternative. An organized movement. For 60 years, the MEK has stood firm against both tyrannies, the Shah and the Mullahs. It was the MEK that first exposed Tehran’s secret nuclear weapons program. And without their courage, the world might never have known what the Mullahs were up to. Those revelations led to international sanctions and pressure that the regime still fears today. And that’s why the Mullahs invest so much in demonizing the MEK, because they know this movement is their existential threat.

And I want to share something personal. I’ve had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI, on several occasions. And each time I’ve come away deeply impressed by her unwavering commitment, her sacrifice, and her leadership. One thing that inspires me is her elevation of women into the highest ranks of the resistance. In a region where women are often marginalized, she has made them central to her fight for freedom. And I wholeheartedly support her Ten-Point Plan for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic in Iran. It’s a vision that is rooted in human rights, equality, and justice. It’s a roadmap to freedom and it’s an alternative that the world must rally behind.

So let us be clear. The regime in Tehran is beyond reform. Its record is written in blood. Mass executions, terrorism abroad, nuclear deception, and four decades of tyranny. The solution is not appeasement. The solution is not war. The solution is the Iranian people and their organized resistance. It is time for the United Nations and every democracy around the world to hold the regime accountable for crimes against humanity. It is time to demand a halt to the executions, especially for political prisoners. It is time to trigger snapback sanctions on Tehran’s nuclear program. And most of all, it is time to recognize the right of the Iranian people to overthrow this tyranny and establish a free, democratic, and secular Iran. The message from Brussels, from Ashraf 3, and from gatherings like this one here today is crystal clear. The Iranian people reject dictatorship, whether in black robes or crowns. They want freedom. They want democracy. They want a free Iran.

So let us stand firm. Let us raise our voices. Let us speak the truth. And let us say with conviction, no to dictatorship, yes to democracy, and yes to a free Iran. Be bold. Be fearless. Now is your time. Thank you.