Supporters of the Iranian Resistance held coordinated rallies over the weekend to mark the anniversary of the April 1972 and April 1975 executions of political prisoners by the Shah’s dictatorship. These events, remembered by Iranians as “30 Farvardin,” commemorate two brutal moments in modern Iranian history when 13 members of the opposition — including members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the Iranian People’s Fedai Guerrillas — were executed by the Shah’s regime.
On April 19, 1972, four prominent MEK members — Ali Bakeri, Nasser Sadegh, Mohammad Bazargani, and Ali Mihan-Doust — were executed by firing squad after enduring months of torture.
Three years later, on April 19, 1975, nine political prisoners were taken from their cells in Evin Prison and executed in a covert operation ordered by SAVAK. These included seven members of the Iranian People’s Fedai Guerrillas — Bijan Jazani, Hassan Zia-Zarifi, Abbas Sorkhi, Aziz Sarmadi, Mohammad Choupanzadeh, Morteza Saidi, and Mashallah Mohammadi — and two members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran — Kazem Zolanvar and Mostafa Javan Khoshdel. The Shah’s regime later claimed the men had been killed “while escaping,” a claim widely discredited as a blatant cover-up.
Demonstrations were held in over a dozen cities across four continents, including Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Cologne, Stockholm, Bucharest, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, Bern, and Washington, D.C., where the rally was held a day earlier on April 18. The rallies carried a unified slogan: “No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs.” Participants called for an end to all forms of dictatorship — both the overthrown monarchy and the current theocratic regime — and voiced support for a free, democratic Iran.
These events were more than just commemorative; they were a powerful affirmation of the Iranian people’s desire for change. The rallies highlighted the growing support among the diaspora for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its platform for democratic transition, particularly the ten-point plan of NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi.
In a message to the global gatherings, Maryam Rajavi stated:
“No to the Shah, no to the Mullahs — victory to the democratic revolution of the Iranian people. The blood spilled under both dictatorships has charted a path toward a democratic republic that can no longer be ignored.”
Message to the Rally of Iranians Honoring the Heroes of April 19, 1972, and 1975
No to the Shah, No to the Mullahs — Yes to a Democratic Future for Iran
The people of Iran are standing firm. Through a democratic revolution, they are determined to build a future where there’s no… pic.twitter.com/BmMcsWdyaj— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 19, 2025
These synchronized rallies served as a unifying force among Iranians abroad, emphasizing solidarity with the Resistance Units inside Iran and underscoring their shared vision for a secular, democratic, and free republic — built on human rights, equality, and freedom for all, as guaranteed in Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
