By Karmrath News Desk
Iran: At rallies, in speeches and across social media platforms, a defining refrain has emerged from Iranian dissenters and exiled activists alike: “This is not women versus Iran, this is Khamenei versus Iran.” At the heart of that narrative stands Maryam Rajavi, a figure who has galvanized international attention and become a focal point for critics of the Islamic Republic and supporters of democratic change.
In a message released on January 12, 2026, marking the sixteenth day of the uprising, Rajavi described the crisis as a manifestation of deep public resolve and mounting resistance to repression. “The bodies of Iran’s freedom fighters have filled hospitals and morgues,” and the scale of casualties, estimated by opposition networks at around 3,000 martyrs, reflects not the strength of the regime but its growing weakness in the face of widespread dissent. Rajavi framed this moment as a historic struggle, asserting that “people so determined to pay the price for freedom cannot be stopped by any power.”
Who Is Maryam Rajavi
Born on December 4, 1953, in Tehran, Rajavi earned a degree in metallurgical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, one of Iran’s most prestigious institutions. Her political activism began early: as a student, she became involved with the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, initially in opposition to the Shah and later against the clerical regime that followed the 1979 revolution.
After the revolution, Rajavi became an official in the MEK’s social department and ran as a parliamentary candidate in 1980, although the ruling regime’s manipulation of elections prevented all opposition candidates from taking seats. She rose rapidly within the organization, becoming joint-leader of the MEK in 1985, later serving as its secretary-general before focusing fully on her role within the NCRI beginning in 1993.
Under Rajavi’s leadership, the NCRI has put forward a detailed Ten-Point Plan for the future of Iran, calling for a republic with separation of religion and state, gender equality, universal suffrage, abolition of the death penalty, and elimination of discriminatory laws. The plan also advocates a non-nuclear Iran and full respect for human rights.
Rajavi has emphasized the central role of women within the resistance movement. According to opposition sources, women occupy pivotal leadership positions and make up over half of the NCRI’s membership, something Rajavi and her supporters see as both a symbolic and practical challenge to Iran’s deeply patriarchal political structures.
Internationally, Rajavi has been a visible voice at conferences, legislative hearings and diplomatic forums. She has met with elected officials and human rights advocates across Europe and North America, appealing for support for democratic change and greater awareness of political repression inside Iran.
Yet Rajavi’s prominence is not without controversy. The MEK’s history, including its past classification as a terrorist organisation by the United States and European Union through the early 2010s, and its complex relationship with armed resistance, have drawn scrutiny from governments and scholars. Critics argue that the organisation’s past actions and internal structure raise questions about its standing as a purely democratic force. Analysts note that support for the NCRI and MEK within Iran’s wider population remains difficult to measure, given the risks faced by domestic activists.
Nevertheless, in speeches and statements, Maryam Rajavi consistently frames the current conflict not as a struggle between specific demographic groups, but as a struggle for the soul of Iran, pitting ordinary citizens and reformists against a leadership that, in her view, has monopolised power through repression rather than consent.
