Today I am going to talk about democracy and its structure. It has been very wisely pointed out that democracy is not achieved through the ballot box alone. Once a political party comes to power, it does not have the right to do whatever it wants. Democracy has a clear structure and it has to work within that structure and respect it.

The structure of democracy is based on human rights principles. For example, freedom of expression. In other words, a political party that comes to power by winning a majority does not have the right to trample on the rights of minorities. It must respect, listen to, and protect the rights of minority communities and societies.

As a political activist who has taught about democracy and fought for democracy, I truly believe that democracy is about protecting and defending people who lose elections, those who are in the minority. Because of democracy, we have reached the stage of civilization today. People have now realized that old mindsets do not match the demands and awareness of rights of the new generation. People's awareness of rights is increasing.

In other words, no country should be governed by a certain ideology alone. The country I come from, the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a theocracy, where laws based on religion are enforced. People are not given freedom to believe or think. Some countries cling to different ideologies and instead of listening to the people, they try to revert to those ideologies.

That is why people in my country have been protesting against this religious dictatorship for more than four decades. They want to see their voices heard and are fighting for democracy.

When I read about the Gen-G movement in your country in September 2025, I followed it with great interest. I wanted to know why such a movement took place in your country? Why did the youth raise their voices?

I know that your country holds free elections and political parties and coalitions are elected through free elections. But the youth in your country felt that there was mismanagement. They felt that democracy was being pushed back. And that is why they protested.

I was saddened to hear that some protesters were killed in those protests. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the families and people of the victims of the Gen-G movement. 

The voices of the youth in your country were heard. The government resigned and I hear that early elections are due in about three weeks. I have deep respect for your Gen-G generation. But based on my own experience, I would like to give you a little advice so that this situation does not happen again.

Although your country has a multi-party system and free elections, the youth peacefully expressed their dissatisfaction with the mismanagement of the government. But from what I have seen, the youth have protested but not made much progress in presenting solutions. They say they are tired and frustrated. They think that just raising their voices is enough. For real change, they themselves have to be part of the solution, not just sitting on the sidelines and shouting slogans.

My advice to the youth, who have reached the age of 18, is to vote. Go to the polls, vote. Join the political party you like. If you don't like any party, form a new party. But stand on the front lines and fight, not stand on the sidelines and shout.

Youth, you have to raise your voice, participate, be active and wake up. The future is in your hands. The future is not possible without your activism. Please step forward, stand at the forefront and struggle.

Now I would like to say something about the recent protests in my country, Iran. In the protests that took place about a month ago, many young people took to the streets and many were killed by the government. In 1979, a revolution took place in our country, but unfortunately it established a religious regime. Even in the 21st century, this regime is trying to run the country according to the rules of the 15th century. Even today, punishments such as stoning to death and amputation of the limbs of thieves are in force. There are extremely discriminatory laws based on gender, religion, sexual identity and minority communities. Along with all this, there is extreme corruption, due to which our national currency has reached an all-time low.

Iran is a very rich country, with the fourth largest gas reserves, the second largest oil reserves, abundant mineral resources, but two-thirds of the population is below the poverty line. For more than four decades, the people have been on the streets continuously, constantly raising their voices. But the regime has responded to their demands with repression, shootings and executions.

The September 2022 protests are an example. A young woman was arrested by the police for having a little hair and died in custody. The movement that began then became known worldwide as the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement.

About 4,000 protesters were killed on the first day, and according to state media, twenty thousand were arrested. About thirty thousand protesters were killed in the protests three months ago. Security forces used war-grade weapons. These figures are not official, but have been verified by international NGOs.

According to the teachers’ union, two hundred of the protesters killed were schoolchildren. The government even used chemical gas on students. The bodies of the dead are hidden, and the injured are arrested after they go to the hospital. Even nurses and doctors who tried to protect the injured have been arrested, and about 50 health workers are now in prison.