PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan marked the 61st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the election of Mahnaz Maimanat as the organization’s new Secretary General with a public placard campaign on September 11.
The activists displayed messages in public places addressing the PMOI’s 61-year history, women’s emancipation, organized resistance, regime change, and the rejection of both clerical and monarchical dictatorship.
Among the messages were: “The anti-human regime is doomed to overthrow, and without a doubt, the people of Iran will win their freedom,” and “The democratic revolution for peace and freedom in Iran will be victorious.”
September 11—Zahedan, southeast Iran
Resistance Units celebrate the 61st anniversary of the founding of the PMOI/MEK and the election of the new PMOI Secretary General Mahnaz Meimanat. pic.twitter.com/TI8WPffgfe— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2026
The campaign combined commemoration of the PMOI’s founding with messages presenting its new leadership and Resistance Units as part of a continuing struggle for political change inside Iran.
New leadership and the emancipation of women
A distinctive theme of the September 11 activities was the connection Resistance Units drew between the election of the PMOI’s new Secretary General and the role of women in political and social change.
Mahnaz Maimanat was elected Secretary General on September 6, at a PMOI gathering marking the beginning of the organization’s 62nd year. Ms. Maimanat, who had previously served on the Executive Committee, Leadership Council, Central Council, and as co-Secretary General, was elected for a two-year term.
In Zahedan, placards described her election as heralding “a democratic society built on liberty, equality, and solidarity.” Another stated that “the emancipation of Iranian women is the essential prerequisite for the liberation of Iranian society as a whole.”
"The election of the PMOI’s Secretary General delivers a formidable political and social offensive against the inhumane regime—catalyzing the growth, resilience, and vitality of the resistance." pic.twitter.com/Jyp69f7bMe
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2026
The messages therefore presented the leadership transition not simply as an internal organizational event, but as part of the Resistance Units’ broader political message on equality and the role of women in Iran’s future.
Sixty-one years of “neither Shah nor mullahs”
Several placards described the organization’s 61 years as an uninterrupted struggle against both monarchical and clerical dictatorships. Others declared: “Down with the oppressor, be it the shah or the supreme leader,” “A dictator is a dictator, whether with a turban or a crown,” and “No to monarchy, no to the mullahs’ rule, yes to freedom and equality.”
The PMOI was founded on September 6, 1965. During this year’s anniversary activities across Iran, Resistance Units repeatedly used the formulation “61 years of neither Shah nor mullahs,” linking the organization’s origins under the Shah with its opposition to the current clerical regime.
"Sixty-one years of relentless, unyielding struggle against both monarchical and clerical dictatorships—sealed by the sacrifice of over 100,000 martyrs—form the fundamental bedrock of the PMOI" pic.twitter.com/ChVls9it9g
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2026
This message has also appeared repeatedly in Zahedan. In June, Resistance Units there displayed slogans rejecting both forms of dictatorship and calling for a democratic republic.
Regime change “from the ground”
Another prominent set of placards focused on how political change should take place.
One message declared: “Regime change in Iran will take place not from the air, but from the ground and on the ground through organized resistance.” Others described the PMOI as an organized force for Iran’s freedom and national independence and placed Resistance Units and the National Liberation Army at the center of the struggle to overthrow the regime.
The message distinguishes the Resistance Units’ strategy from reliance on foreign military intervention. They stress that regime change must come through organized forces operating within Iranian society.
"Down with the oppressor, be it the shah or the supreme leader" pic.twitter.com/OjStoGsckK
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2026
This comes after a week of anniversary activities in which Resistance Units across Iran used marches, slogan-writing, public displays, and operations to mark the PMOI’s 61st anniversary.
Public defiance amid heightened repression
The placard campaign also took place amid extensive repression targeting PMOI supporters and Resistance Units.
Since the beginning of the year, the regime has executed 9 PMOI members. Many PMOI supporters are also on death row or serving heavy prison sentences. At the same time, the regime is in a high state of alert as it fears protests and activities by the organized resistance.
Against these conditions, publicly displaying placards supporting the PMOI, its new Secretary General, Resistance Units, and regime change gives the September 11 activities an added dimension. The Zahedan campaign connects the organization’s 61-year history with a new leadership term while reiterating the activists’ central messages: organized resistance, equality, and the rejection of dictatorship in both monarchical and clerical forms.