Italian Parliament Hosts Conference on Iran, Highlighting Democratic Alternative
Iran Focus, July 17, 2026,
Italian lawmakers, former senior international officials, and representatives of the Iranian opposition gathered at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome on July 16 for a conference examining Iran’s political crisis, regional tensions, and international policy toward Tehran.
Held in the Chamber’s Regina Hall under the title “Iran’s Crisis: The Democratic Path Forward,” the event brought together members of Italy’s parliament alongside international political figures and Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Throughout the conference, speakers called for continued pressure on the Iranian government, maintaining the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and abandoning what they described as years of Western appeasement. Several participants also rejected any return to monarchical rule in Iran, presenting a democratic republic as the alternative they support.
Delivering the keynote address, Maryam Rajavi argued that the Iranian regime remains in power through domestic repression, regional intervention, and pursuit of nuclear capabilities. She said these elements are interconnected and have prevented both stability inside Iran and broader regional peace.
Presenting the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan, Mrs. Rajavi described it as a framework for establishing “a democratic republic based on the separation of religion and state, gender equality, and the abolition of the death penalty,” while advocating for a non-nuclear Iran committed to peaceful international relations.
Read More
Iran: Execution of 26-Year-Old Mehdi Khanaki on Charges of Active Participation in January Uprising and PMOI Membership
Maryam-Rajavi.com, July 22, 2026
On the morning of Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the mullahs’ regime executed PMOI member Mehdi Khanaki, a 26-year-old law graduate, after subjecting him to months of severe physical and psychological torture. He was hanged on charges of membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and active participation in the January uprising. Mehdi had been sentenced to death and the confiscation of all his property by the regime’s Revolutionary Court of Karaj.
The martyred PMOI member Mehdi Khanaki had been pursued and sought by security forces since the January 2026 uprising and was eventually arrested on February 10 in Karaj. The PMOI had informed the UN Special Rapporteur and international human rights organizations about Mehdi’s arrest and severe torture on March 1.
On February 12, state-run media announced Mehdi’s arrest without mentioning his name, reporting: “The Intelligence Organization of the State Security Force (SSF) of Alborz Province arrested a member of the Monafeqin [PMOI] terrorist group” (Khabar-e Fori, February 12, 2026).
Today, the regime’s judiciary claimed that a few days before the January uprising, Mehdi “received firearms and ammunition from a location communicated to him by a contact who sent details and a video, and received communication equipment using the same method from another location in Mahdasht, Karaj.” It also claimed, “According to technical investigations and the opinions of experts and the ballistics laboratory, the weapons seized from Mehdi Khanaki were fired during the January 2026 riots” (Mizan news agency, July 22, 2026).
Read More
Italian Parliament: The Iranian Crisis and a Democratic Solution for the Future_July 16, 2026
In her address, Maryam Rajavi called on Italy and the European Union to stand with the Iranian people and their organized resistance. She emphasized that decades of appeasement have failed to change the regime’s behavior and have only fueled instability. She praised the Italian Parliament’s support for Iran’s democratic Resistance and its recognition that backing a provisional government is the path to democracy, regional stability, and lasting peace.
The regime fears Iran’s Resistance. | Ambassador Carla Sands’ speech at the Free Iran 2026 Summit
Speaking at the Free Iran 2026 World Summit, former U.S. Ambassador Carla Sands said the regime’s growing wave of executions reflects its fear of the expanding Resistance. She praised Maryam Rajavi’s leadership, rejected both appeasement and a return to monarchy, and urged the international community to support the Iranian people’s struggle for a free, democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic.
OIAC Donation | 501 (c)(3) Tax deductible
Your donation will help OIAC advocate for a democratic, secular and non-nuclear government in Iran. Founded on the respect for human rights, gender equality, religious and ethnic tolerance, as wells as social, economic justice, and security for America. Our goal is to organize Iranian-American communities in the United States to promote these values.