Prince Reza Pahlavi praises protesters in Nurabad, vows Iran will be taken back
Prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday praised the “brave presence” of people in Nurabad Mamasani in rejecting Iran’s ruling system and raising the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag.
Residents gathered in large numbers in the town on Thursday to mark the 40th day since those killed in the January protests.
In a post on X, Pahlavi said their actions, despite the “great massacre,” showed firm resolve and marked a path toward victory for the Iranian nation.
He addressed Iran’s people, saying they had historically acted as guardians of the country and had used their “arms and honor” to defend the homeland and its territorial integrity.
“Together and united, we will take Iran back and rebuild it freer and more prosperous than before,” he wrote, ending his message with “Long live Iran.”
“We, the filmmakers of Iran, condemn the suppression of people’s protests under any pretext. Protest is the natural and civil right of every human being. No power has the right to consider itself above the people,” the signatories wrote.
In a statement on January 25, the editorial board of Iran International said more than 36,500 people were killed during the targeted suppression of the Iranian protesters on the orders of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Referring to the killing of demonstrators, they added: “Shooting at people who have taken to the streets with empty hands is a crime against the right to life and has no justification.”
The statement, titled “We stand with the people of Iran,” comes after weeks of unrest and follows similar declarations by other civil and professional groups.
Earlier, more than 60 writers and activists in the field of children’s and young adult literature from several countries issued a separate statement condemning the killings on January 8 and 9.
On February 16, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations announced a day of public mourning and school closures on February 18 in response to the deaths of more than 230 children and teenagers during the January protests. The move amounted to a strike by teachers and a call on families to keep students at home.
In their statement, the filmmakers pointed to nearly five decades of governance despite what they described as vast natural and human resources, arguing that justice, welfare and security have not been achieved. They cited organized corruption, plunder of public wealth and what they called a “fear-inducing ideology” as drivers of widespread poverty and despair.
Among the signatories are Pegah Ahangarani, Mahnaz Afshar, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Jafar Panahi, Katayoun Riahi, Saman Salour, Kianoush Ayari and Asghar Farhadi.
The filmmakers concluded that they would document “these days and these wounds” and defend freedom of expression while standing alongside the Iranian people.
