Across Europe, Iranian youth envision a free, secular Iran in the first Iran Youth Congress

A first-of-its-kind conference for Iranian youth across Europe, North America, and Australia occurred on Saturday (25 October) with a resounding message: the younger generation of the Iranian diaspora believes that the ruling theocracy in Tehran is in its final phase, and the dawn of a democratic and secular Iran is near.

The conference featured large in-person gatherings in London, Paris, Bonn, and Zurich. The simultaneous events brought together activists, lawyers, academics, and professionals, including both recent arrivals and long-established residents of Western nations.

The gathering took place amid mounting geopolitical challenges posed by the clerical regime to Europe and the wider Western world.
The Iranian Youth Congress issued a “final resolution” that was read aloud by a couple of participants. It reflected a shared understanding of Iran’s current state and charted a clear path toward achieving a democratic alternative to the existing theocratic dictatorship.
Iran has witnessed several major anti-regime uprisings in recent years.
“Macro-social crises—from rampant inflation, staggering unemployment, widespread poverty, corruption, and astronomical embezzlement to water shortages, power outages, and crises in housing and education—have no prospect of resolution under this regime and are rapidly worsening,” the resolution stated.
Rejecting the notion of gradual reform as a “mirage,” the statement declared: “The solution for Iran is the overthrow of this regime and the establishment of democracy and popular sovereignty, which is more attainable than ever.”
This conviction was echoed in speeches delivered by participating activists and in the keynote address by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the coalition of democratic opposition movements. “Today, more than ever, we are closer to overthrowing the clerical regime,” Mrs. Rajavi said, emphasizing that the ruling system is “weaker and more decayed” than at any time since its inception after the 1979 revolution that deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
While focused on current opposition to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rule, Saturday’s event also paid tribute to the history of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the principal Iranian resistance movement. The speakers underscored that the activist community aims to build a modern democratic republic grounded in popular sovereignty and the rule of law— “neither monarchist nor religious.”
“The free Iran of tomorrow will be neither monarchist nor religious,” said Mahan Taraj, representing the Iranian Lawyers’ Association. “Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan is the true charter for the rule of law in Iran’s future: abolition of the death penalty, separation of religion and state, and absolute independence of the judiciary are its fundamental principles.”
The Ten-Point Plan has long been promoted by the resistance network inside and outside Iran and has won support from political leaders across the Western world. It has been referenced positively in parliamentary resolutions expressing solidarity with the Iranian democratic opposition.
Some of those resolutions have also highlighted the role of Iran’s Resistance Units, a nationwide network aligned with the PMOI and NCRI, which has been instrumental in organizing protests—most notably during the 2022 uprising that swept all 31 Iranian provinces. Sparked by the killing of Mahsa Amini by the morality police, that revolt was described as the gravest challenge to the regime since the 1979 revolution and was cited repeatedly during Saturday’s conference as proof that the mullahs are losing their grip on power.
“In the Mahsa Amini uprising, Iran’s youth once again took to the streets, and the cry of freedom echoed from every city to the world,” said one activist. Another noted, “In recent uprisings, I saw brave girls standing empty-handed against the regime’s forces, and I was ashamed I hadn’t joined sooner. Today, the Resistance Units play a crucial role in the uprising and are Khamenei’s nightmare.”
Dozens of political and social dignitaries from throughout Europe took part in the conference online as observers.
Speaking for Iranian students, Elahe Mossadegh declared: “Our generation has risen from the ashes of repression; we have abandoned silence and chosen resistance. Young Resistance Units bravely stand against tyranny… The PMOI and NCRI have opened all doors to the young generation to carry the banner of freedom. The regime fears the awareness and will of youth because it knows that when this generation rises, it will uproot the ruling tyranny from the land. ‘Death to the oppressor, whether Shah or Leader.’”
This sentiment was echoed in the final resolution, which credited the PMOI with “60 years of struggle against the Shah and the mullahs, with deep and extensive roots,” and noted that the NCRI “has upheld its democratic and revolutionary principles for 44 years,” offering “a unique opportunity in Iran’s history to achieve freedom, independence, and social justice.”
Both the resolution and Mrs. Rajavi’s address emphasized that this opportunity hinges on regime change. “It is now clear there are only two paths,” Mrs. Rajavi said. “Continuation of this regime or a democratic revolution. Either the rule of the Supreme Leader or a republic based on the people’s vote.”
She urged young Iranians to “strive even harder for this glorious future” and to help “build a free and prosperous Iran, where all talents flourish and human capital returns to a democratic homeland.”
he conference participants, through their final resolution, pledged their commitment:
“As far as the future is concerned, we and thousands of young specialists, professors, scientists, and entrepreneurs feel obligated to place our capabilities and abilities at the service of rebuilding a devastated Iran and realizing the Ten-Point Plan of the President-elect of the Resistance, without any expectations.”