Ottawa & Toronto — May 3, 2025:
Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in both Ottawa and Toronto to honor the victims of the recent deadly explosion in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Participants held placards, lit candles, and chanted in solidarity with the families of the workers who lost their lives, expressing deep sorrow and condemnation.

The demonstrators accused the Iranian regime and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of responsibility for the disaster, citing decades of mismanagement, corruption, and repression. They demanded full transparency and accountability, urging the international community—especially the European Union, following the example of the U.S. and Canada—to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

In addition to mourning, the rallies reaffirmed support for the Iranian people’s broader struggle for freedom and democracy. Protesters called for the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran, free from both clerical and monarchical rule, and voiced their endorsement of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as the only viable and democratic alternative to the current regime.

Participants also expressed strong support for Maryam Rajavi‘s 10-point plan, which envisions a secular, pluralistic, and democratic Iran based on universal human rights and the rule of law.

The Iranian communities in Ottawa and Toronto also called for the immediate cancellation of death sentences issued against political prisoners, particularly those facing imminent execution. They demanded a complete abolition of the death penalty in Iran and called for the prosecution of the regime’s leaders in an international tribunal for crimes against humanity.

Finally, attendees urged international bodies to recognize the Iranian people’s right to resist tyranny and called for formal acknowledgment of the MEK Resistance Units’ right to self-defense in their pursuit of a free Iran.