Thugs affiliated with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed dictator, have attacked supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Belgium.
The cruel attack was captured on camera by a bystander and has raised concerns among Iranians about the emerging pattern of violence and the potential return of the Pahlavi dictatorship, infamous for systemic human rights abuses.
The incident occurred on February 20 in Brussels, where thousands of Iranians had gathered to urge the European Union to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. Many supporters of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) were in attendance, alongside remnants of the deposed monarchy who attempted to usurp the demonstration in favor of the Pahlavi dictatorship.
This attack is one of several incidents in recent days, including a rally in Munich, Germany, where supporters of the monarchy held pictures of Parviz Sabeti, a notorious torturer of the Shah’s SAVAK (secret police).
The thugs attacked Mr. Hassan Habibi and Ms. Mahnaz Arab, two MEK supporters, resulting in their hospitalization.
The history of SAVAK’s brutal tortures made headlines in the 1970s, and Martin Ennals, in his 1974-5 Report as Amnesty International Secretary-General, wrote how the Shah “retains his benevolent image despite the highest rate of death penalties in the world, no valid system of civilian courts and a history of torture which is beyond belief.”
Reza Pahlavi speaks of human rights and democracy while slandering the MEK, yet his supporters, like their IRGC comrades, attack the Iranian resistance’s supporters and vow to restore SAVAK to deal with “future terrorists.” The Iranian regime has promoted Pahlavi as an alternative to the current government, but his refusal to clarify his stance on several critical issues, such as the rights of ethnic minorities, has left Iranians skeptical of his commitment to freedom and democracy.
Reza Pahlavi speaks of human rights and democracy while slandering the MEK, yet his supporters, like their IRGC comrades, attack the Iranian resistance’s supporters and vow to restore SAVAK to deal with “future terrorists.”
The Iranian people’s democratic revolution aims to establish a democratic republic, but the remnants of Shah’s regime and their supporters spread discord and disunity by targeting other dissidents of the regime. As Jean-Pierre Brard, a former French MP, said during the NCRI’s rally on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, “Iranians did not offer so much blood and suffered so much to endure such an alternative. The martyrs did not give up their lives to satisfy personal ambition or greed for others to profit.”
The attack in Brussels serves as a stark reminder of the violence and human rights abuses that occurred under the Pahlavi dictatorship. Iranians must remain vigilant against any attempt to resurrect the regime and uphold their commitment to a democratic and free Iran.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTub