Nearly 200 Iranian sports figures urge US to back exiled prince
A group of 197 Iranian athletes and sports figures in an open letter on Thursday urged the US Congress to recognize exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as the legitimate representative of the Iranian people and as leader of a unified democratic opposition.
“In our view, his leadership represents a unifying force for many Iranians inside the country and throughout the diaspora, and may contribute to guiding a peaceful, orderly, and non-violent transition … toward a democratic and secular system based on the rule of law,” the letter said.
Addressed to members of Congress, the signatories also called for a reassessment of engagement policies toward Tehran to ensure international actions do not unintentionally contribute to repression inside Iran.
