BRUSSELS — On Sunday, April 26, 2026, thousands of voices rose in unison in the Belgian capital as a major demonstration of solidarity with the Iranian people took place in Brussels. Organised by the National Liberation Front of Iran, a non-partisan, pro-democracy movement, the rally brought together activists, human rights defenders, diaspora communities, and European supporters determined to break the silence surrounding one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time.

The event drew speakers from across the continent and beyond, united by a single, urgent message: the international community — and Europe in particular — must act decisively in support of the Iranian people and their quest for freedom, dignity, and regime change.

National Liberation Front of Iran Leads the Call

Mr. Farzad Mahmoudi, Secretary-General of the National Liberation Front of Iran, delivered a moving and poignant address to the assembled crowd. Calling on European leaders to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, Mahmoudi outlined the organisation’s vision of a free, democratic Iran — one that could take its rightful place in the community of nations. His words resonated deeply with the thousands gathered.

Ms. Fahimeh Ilghami, a fellow speaker who collaborates with Mahmoudi within the Confederation of National Pro-Democracy Advocates of Iran and serves as a representative of Prosperous Iran, delivered a passionate address that electrified the crowd. She reiterated the message of the Iranian people and Prince Reza Pahlavi to the Belgian government and European leaders — urging them to listen and to engage in meaningful dialogue with the true representatives of the Iranian nation.

“While the world is considering a ceasefire with the Iranian regime, we must not forget that this regime has not declared a ceasefire in its main war against the Iranian people.”

— Fahimeh Ilghami, Representative, Prosperous Iran

In her remarks, Ilghami called out international media — particularly European outlets — for failing to give the tragedy in Iran the attention it deserves. She challenged European citizens and leaders alike to listen, to act, and to refrain from complicity through silence.

Manel Msalmi Speaks for the Voiceless

Manel Msalmi, Chief Executive of Faith & Freedom News, Founder and President of the European Association for the Defense of Minorities, and a leading interfaith peace activist, took the stage to address the rally. A tireless advocate for religious and ethnic minorities across the MENA region and Europe, Msalmi’s presence underlined the stakes for civil society.

In her address, Msalmi catalogued the alarming human rights crisis unfolding inside Iran — a nation gripped not only by state repression but by a spiralling wave of state-sanctioned executions.

Executions, Political Repression & the War Against the People

Msalmi’s speech painted a stark picture of Iran’s human rights landscape in 2026. Following the mass protests of January, authorities have deployed the death penalty as an instrument of political repression — and since the commencement of the US-Israeli military operation “Epic Fury” on February 28, the pace of executions has only accelerated.

Young people are a particular target of the regime, which fears a generation that has grown up yearning for freedom and democracy. The execution of a 19-year-old athlete — publicly carried out — is emblematic of a state determined to crush dissent at any cost.

Iran’s Threat to European Stability

Msalmi also addressed the broader security dimensions of the Iranian regime’s conduct. Iranian-backed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have triggered a significant maritime crisis, reducing container shipping by up to 80% and forcing vessels to reroute around Africa — inflating prices for European consumers and disrupting trade with the MENA region.

“Europe is directly affected by the war in Sudan and the Red Sea, as well as the Houthi attacks in Yemen and Bab el-Mandeb. This is not a distant crisis — it is our crisis too.”

— Manel Msalmi, FFN Chief Executive

The speech also highlighted the April 20 arrest by U.S. federal authorities of Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national residing in California, accused of acting as an intermediary for the Iranian government in selling combat drones, bombs, and ammunition to Sudan — allegedly worth over $70 million through an Oman-based company, with personal commissions exceeding $7 million.

Investigators reportedly found 62 direct contacts between Mafi’s phone and an Iranian intelligence officer over a two-and-a-half-year period. The case, according to Msalmi, is further evidence of the Iranian regime’s systematic destabilisation of the region and its active support for Russia in both the Ukraine and Sudan crises — directly threatening European interests.

Patricia Teitelbaum: The Moral Imperative

Mrs. Patricia Teitelbaum, President of IMPAC, offered a clarion call that summed up the moral stakes of the day: dismantling this regime, she argued, would eliminate proxy wars, nuclear blackmail, and the theft of futures from an entire generation of Iranians — and the world.

The demonstration concluded with renewed calls on the international community and EU leaders to maintain economic sanctions against the Iranian regime and to open formal dialogue with the democratic representatives of the Iranian nation — including Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose name was invoked repeatedly as the choice of the majority of Iranians who know only one credible democratic alternative.