National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is a democratic alternative to the current Iranian government, based in France. In 1993, Maryam Rajavi was appointed President-elect of the NCRI.

The organization defends Western values such as secularism and women's rights. It fights for the establishment of a democratic and secular republic in Iran, on a platform espousing such political values as secular government, democratic elections, freedom of expression, equal rights for women and human rights.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is an umbrella organization with multiple member groups, such as the "Association of Iranian Scholars and Professionals" and the "Association of Iranian Women".

It is an inclusive and pluralistic parliament-in-exile that has more than 500 members, including representatives of ethnic and religious minorities such as the Kurds, Baluchis, Armenians, Jews and Zoroastrians, representing a broad spectrum of political tendencies in Iran. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) aims to establish a secular democratic republic in Iran, based on the separation of religion and state. Women comprise 50 percent of the Council’s members.