Prince Reza Pahlavi on the Anniversary of Neda Agha-Soltan: The Path to Victory Does Not Pass Through 'Fake Ballots'

On the fifteenth anniversary of the killing of several citizens during the crackdown on widespread protests against the 'fake ballots' of the 2009 elections, Prince Reza Pahlavi stated that the blood of these youths was shed by the 'thugs of the criminal regime of the Islamic Republic' under the fatwa of Ali Khamenei. Coinciding with the anniversary of the protests known as the Green Movement, Prince Reza Pahlavi honored the memory of the slain protesters by publishing a message on various social media platforms on Wednesday, June 30. He wrote: 'Fifteen years ago on this day, June 30, 2009, the thugs of the criminal regime of the Islamic Republic, under the fatwa of their criminal leader Ali Khamenei, spilled the blood of several innocent and brave children of Iran: Neda Agha-Soltan, Ashkan Sohrabi, Fatemeh Samsarpour, Masoud Hashemzadeh, and others.' Prince Reza Pahlavi emphasized that 'the martyrs of that day and year inspired generations after them in the nationwide uprisings of December 2017, November 2019, and the major uprising of 2022.' He addressed the Iranian people, saying: 'Fellow countrymen, the path to restoring welfare, security, freedom, and respect for Iran and Iranians does not pass through the fake ballot boxes of the Islamic Republic but through overthrowing this criminal regime.' Prince Reza Pahlavi stated that 'the path to victory is clear and the future of victory is clearer,' adding: 'We will not vote for the murderers of Nedas, Mohsens, Pouyas, Mahsas, Nikas, and thousands of immortal names of the Iranian national revolution. Together we say no to the farce of the election circus.' Additionally, Neda Agha-Soltan's brother, on the eve of the anniversary of her killing by the forces of the Islamic Republic in 2009, shared a picture of her on X, writing: 'It's been a long time since I could only remember your face by seeing your photos.' Mohammad Agha-Soltan emphasized that 'there has not been a day that I have not remembered you or your voice has not been in my ears,' expressing his longing for Neda and asserting that 'I will not come to you until I have taken my revenge.' Arash Hajazi, a publisher and translator who witnessed Neda Agha-Soltan's killing, also honored her memory by publishing a painting of her face from the 2009 protests. Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the justice-seeking Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who was killed in custody during interrogation, also emphasized that Neda Agha-Soltan's name 'will forever be immortalized in the history of the freedom-seeking struggles of the Iranian people' and that 'this brave and aware girl charted the path of truth and freedom with her blood.' She stressed that 'the Islamic Republic must go,' stating that Neda Agha-Soltan 'was ahead of her time,' adding, 'She knew that the problem of Iran goes beyond political factions' and 'had realized that the roots of oppression and tyranny lie in a system where reformists and conservatives are no different from each other.' During the crackdown on protests following the 2009 presidential election, several protesters were killed by government agents in the streets of Iran. The incident of the killing of several detainees in the Kahrizak detention center was also one of the notable cases of human rights violations by the Islamic Republic at that time.