Winchester, UK – April 14, 2025: The Academics in Exile Association, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), organized a public bookstall and photo exhibition in Winchester to protest the recent wave of executions in Iran, including the execution of five political prisoners in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
The event also condemned the death sentences recently issued against PMOI-affiliated prisoners and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. Held in solidarity with Iran’s prisoners of conscience, the gathering responded to the alarming surge in torture and systematic executions carried out by the regime in the past week.
Participants used the exhibition to call on the UK government to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC ) as a terrorist organization and to shut down the Iranian regime’s embassy in London, labeling it a center of espionage and terror operations. Members of the Iranian diaspora in Winchester joined the call for international legal action against Iran’s ruling authorities for crimes against humanity.
Posting on X, the Academics in Exile Association shared:
“Academics in Exile held a powerful bookstall in Winchester City Centre on April 14, 2025, standing in solidarity with political prisoners in Iran. Citizens rallied, signed petitions, and demanded the IRGC be listed as a terrorist group!”
— Academics In Exile Association (@iranianacademic) April 14, 2025
Additionally, the academics called for justice, tougher sanctions on the regime, and recognition of the Iranian people’s right to self-defense. The exhibition was well-received by a diverse audience in Winchester.
