On April 19, 1972, the Shah regime in Iran executed a group of senior members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). These martyrs, including Nasser Sadegh, Mohammad Bazargani, Ali Mihandoost, and Ali Bakeri, were arrested, severely tortured, and then killed in sham trials by the Shah’s notorious intelligence agency, SAVAK. Around the same time, SAVAK also murdered Asghar Montazer Haghighi in street clashes.
Three years later, on April 19, 1975, the Shah’s regime executed seven members of the Organization of Iranian People’s Fedai Guerrillas and two senior PMOI members, Kazem Zulanvar and Mostafa Javan Khoshdel. The Shah’s regime, fearing the growing influence of the PMOI and Fedaian among college students and the educated public, targeted these political prisoners in an attempt to quell the opposition. The SAVAK sought to whitewash these executions by claiming inmates trying to escape were shot and killed by prison guards.
While the Shah regime thought that it could quell resistance through the murder of opposition member, the movement only grew stronger, and the shah regime was overthrown on February 11, 1979.
Fifty-two years later, in honor of these PMOI martyrs, the PMOI Resistance Units have carried out activities across Iran, displaying banners in several cities. In Tehran, they honored “the anniversary of the martyrdom of the first group of the PMOI Central Committee at the hands of the shah regime” and declared “We can and we must overthrow the regime of Khamenei.” Similar banners were displayed in Rasht, Hamedan, Mashhad, and Lahijan, honoring the memory of the April 19 martyrs.
On April 19,1972, the criminal regime of the shah in #Iran executed PMOI Central Committee members Ali Bakeri, Nasser Sadegh, Ali Mihandoost, and Mohammad Bazargani, after brutally torturing them. Fifty-two years later, PMOI Resistance Units honor their memory across Iran.#PMOI… pic.twitter.com/YlviA0h0wU
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 18, 2024
The Resistance Units carried banners in the streets and held ceremonies in their homes to honor the sacrifice made by the early PMOI members. They also vowed to continue their path and the tens of thousands of PMOI members who laid down their lives for the cause of freedom in Iran.
These activities by the PMOI Resistance Units serve two important purposes. First, they reflect the unwavering will of the Iranian people to overthrow the current mullahs’ regime, while avoiding a return to the despotic rule of the Shah. The Iranian people have experienced the brutality of both regimes and are determined to establish a democratic system that respects their rights and freedoms. Today, the slogan, “Down with the oppressor, be it the shah or the mullahs,” has become increasingly popular among the Iranian public, especially after the 2022 uprising and attempts by the regime to promote the remnants of the shah regime.
Secondly, these actions by the Resistance Units are carried out in the face of a growing wave of repressive measures by the regime, including increased crackdowns on PMOI supporters. Multiple reports in recent weeks indicate that the regime is increasing pressure on PMOI supporters in its prisons by depriving them their most basic needs such as medical care family visits. Despite the regime’s efforts to suppress the opposition, the PMOI Resistance Units continue to defy the authorities and honor the sacrifices of their fallen comrades.
The PMOI martyrs executed by the Shah’s regime in 1972 and 1975 are a testament to the Iranian people’s unwavering commitment to freedom and democracy. The activities of the PMOI Resistance Units, in their honor, demonstrate that the spirit of resistance against tyranny remains strong in Iran. As the Iranian people continue their struggle for a better future, the memory of these martyrs will continue to inspire and guide them towards their ultimate goal of overthrowing the mullahs’ regime.
