Former FBI Director Louis Free, along with the American delegation, addresses the Free Iran World Summit on July 20, 2023
A bipartisan coalition of senior American officials, including former ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, judges, and military leaders, has issued a strong statement defending Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), following a controversial article published by a French satirical outlet on March 18, 2025. The group condemned the article as a politically motivated hit piece designed to discredit Rajavi and the broader Iranian resistance movement. 
The article in question accused Mrs. Rajavi of enjoying a “luxury lifestyle” and engaging in financial misconduct. However, the American signatories emphasized that such claims had already been thoroughly investigated by French judicial authorities over a 12-year period and dismissed as baseless. A judge had previously issued a non-lieu decision, effectively dropping all charges due to lack of evidence. The signatories criticized the call for renewed investigations as a misuse of the judicial system to serve Tehran’s propaganda interests.
“This is not the first time this publication has targeted figures opposed to the Iranian regime,” the statement noted, recalling a 1979 incident in which the same outlet was condemned for publishing false allegations that contributed to the suicide of a French prime ministerial candidate. The current accusations, the officials argue, follow a long pattern of efforts to harass opponents of the Iranian regime under the guise of satire.
Supporters of Mrs. Rajavi highlighted her decades-long commitment to promoting democracy, gender equality, and human rights in Iran. Her leadership in calling for a secular and nuclear-free Iran has made her a prime target for the regime in Tehran. Millions of Iranians, they note, have suffered under the regime’s brutal repression, and efforts to silence figures like Rajavi only serve to delay the country’s progress toward freedom.
“This latest campaign is yet another desperate attempt by Tehran to silence the voice of resistance,” the American officials declared. “We stand united in our support for Mrs. Rajavi and the Iranian people’s aspirations for a democratic future.”
The statement concluded with a broader call to action: “Iran’s future belongs to its citizens. All democracies and freedom-loving people everywhere must stand with them. We do so today.”
This declaration marks a significant reaffirmation of international support for the Iranian opposition movement, signaling continued pressure on the regime and solidarity with those advocating for change.
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