As European leaders gather for the final EU summit of the year, the Iranian community in Belgium, supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), convene a significant rally at the Schuman Roundabout in Brussels. The event underscores growing calls for the European Union to adopt a firmer stance against the Iranian regime’s oppressive actions and its threats to regional and global security.

Rally

The rally emphasized the urgent need for international condemnation of Iran’s escalating use of capital punishment. According IranHRM to statements by the NCRI, over 600 executions, including 22 women, have been carried out since July 2024 since the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian. Such acts reflect a brutal attempt to stifle dissent and maintain control through fear.

Demands

Protesters highlight the Iranian regime’s role as a destabilizing force in the Middle East. Its backing of proxy groups and engagement in regional conflicts exacerbate instability. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), often described as the regime’s enforcer both domestically and internationally, stands at the center of these efforts.

The rally calls on the EU to formally label the IRGC as a terrorist group, reflecting its significant role in domestic repression and international terrorism. Protesters also urge European leaders to abandon conciliatory approaches, which embolden the regime while disregarding the Iranian people’s aspirations for freedom and democracy.

A Strategic Turning Point: The Fall of Assad’s Regime

The Iranian regime’s regional strategy suffered a profound setback with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a pivotal ally for Tehran. Assad’s overthrow has weakened the regime’s ability to support its proxies, such as Hezbollah, exposing its vulnerabilities both at home and abroad. This development offers European leaders a crucial opportunity to press the Iranian regime and support its opposition.

The rally will feature photos of Maryam Rajavi, the Iranian opposition leader, alongside banners and slogans demanding the EU end its appeasement policies. Participants aim to amplify the voices of Iranians fighting for freedom and to remind European leaders of their moral and strategic responsibilities.