Maryam Rajavi’s Message to the Rallies in Berlin and Stockholm on June 21, 2025: A Call for Regime Change and Democratic Revolution in Iran

On June 21, 2025, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), addressed large rallies of Iranians in Berlin and Stockholm, commemorating the anniversary of June 20, 1981 — the historic turning point that marked the beginning of the organized resistance against the clerical dictatorship in Iran.

Message to the rallies of freedom-loving Iranians in Berlin
Glory to June 20, 1981, the start of Iran’s nationwide resistance, the Day of Martyrs and Political Prisoners, and the founding day of the National Liberation Army of Iran.
Today, we are on the threshold of a great… pic.twitter.com/7fbCp92al7

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) June 21, 2025

She began by reminding her audience of a speech she gave 21 years earlier at a similar rally in Berlin in 2005:

“Our message is clear: The Iranian people’s resistance for freedom must be recognized. We say no to appeasement and saving the mullahs’ regime, and no to war. There is a Third Option: regime change by the people of Iran and the Iranian resistance.”

Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that this message remains as vital as ever. The ongoing policy of appeasement has only empowered the regime and fueled conflict, confirming the validity of the Third Option. She stressed that true peace and security in the region depend on regime change by the Iranian people and their resistance movement.

On the Verge of a Great Transformation

Rajavi declared that Iran stands on the cusp of a monumental transformation. However, this change will not come easily or automatically—it requires organized resistance and maximum sacrifice in what she called the “real war” between the Iranian people and the religious dictatorship of Velayat-e Faqih.

From June 20, 1981, to today, this struggle has continued without pause. Not even the end of the Iran-Iraq war altered the course of this fight. The real war, she insisted, was always internal — between a tyrannical regime and a people yearning for freedom.

Message to the Iranians’ Rally in Berlin on the Anniversary of June 20, 1981, the Beginning of the Iranian Resistance
I want to begin with the words I spoke 21 years ago, in my message to your rally in Berlin on February 10, 2005:
“Our message is clear: The Iranian people's… pic.twitter.com/wOscQiPgjt

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) June 21, 2025

June 20: The Origin of Legitimate Resistance

Marking the 44th anniversary of the June 20 uprising, Rajavi reaffirmed that the uprising and the resistance it inspired were historically justified and indispensable.

Quoting Massoud Rajavi, she said that the Iranian Resistance arose in response to “the most monstrous reactionary force in Iran’s history,” and it has endured because it refused to bow to tyranny. It was this resistance that kept the torch of liberty alive and ultimately forced Khomeini to accept a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq war.

She paid tribute to martyrs such as Sedigheh Mojaveri and Neda Hassani, calling them “blazing flames of love” who symbolize the depth of commitment and sacrifice made by the resistance.

Rajavi noted that the decision made on June 20, 1981, was a historic crossroads: one could surrender to oppression or rise in defiance. The Iranian Resistance chose defiance and has remained steadfast ever since, despite all the slander and threats it continues to face from the regime’s judiciary and propaganda machinery.

The Unstoppable Force of Change

Mrs. Rajavi challenged those who dismiss the Resistance by claiming there is no viable alternative to the current regime. The Iranian Resistance, she asserted, is the democratic and independent alternative, with a clear platform and a proven history of 44 years of organized struggle under the banner of “Neither Shah nor the mullahs.”

She warned against foreign-imposed alternatives, comparing them to historical missteps like the installation of Reza Shah by General Ironside or the 1953 CIA coup against Prime Minister Mossadegh. These actions paved the way for dictatorship and enabled Khomeini to hijack the 1979 revolution.

She argued that if the West had not pursued a policy of appeasement toward the regime, Iran — and the broader Middle East — could look very different today.

Two powerful rallies in Berlin and Stockholm united freedom-loving Iranians behind the #IranThirdOption. The call for a free, secular Iran grows stronger every day. #FreeIran2025 #NCRIAlternative pic.twitter.com/85P5W1u12R

— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) June 21, 2025

A Democratic Future Is Within Reach

Maryam Rajavi reiterated the unchangeable demands of the Iranian people since the Constitutional Revolution: freedom, free elections, and democratic governance.

She outlined the Resistance’s vision for the future:

• A democratic, secular republic

• Gender equality

• Freedom of religion and belief

• Respect for the rights of all nationalities

• An independent judiciary

• Abolition of the death penalty

• A non-nuclear Iran

• Peace and cooperation in the Middle East

From the start, Rajavi and her movement have resisted both the mullahs’ misogyny and any form of coercion. She recalled the slogans that still define their fight:

“No to compulsory hijab. No to compulsory religion. No to compulsory governance.”

Highlights of today's rally in Berlin by a large number of freedom-loving Iranians calling for a #FreeIran2025 #NCRIAlternative #IranThirdOption pic.twitter.com/CH52Hjek9E

— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) June 21, 2025

Final Words

Maryam Rajavi concluded her message with a firm declaration:
The democratic revolution of the Iranian people will prevail.
Long live the people of Iran. Long live freedom.

Her speech resonated as a declaration of unwavering resistance and a hopeful blueprint for Iran’s future — a future built on freedom, justice, and democratic governance.

June 21, 2025: Message from Mrs. @Maryam_Rajavi, the NCRI's President-elect, to the #IranianResistance rally in #Berlin. Iranians are chanting against #Iran's regime and rejecting the deposed monarchy. They support #IranThirdOption.#NCRIAlternative #FreeIran2025… pic.twitter.com/sOARo9AjGF

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) June 21, 2025