Statement by 171 Activists and Political Prisoners Inside Iran: We Stand by Prince Reza Pahlavi

A group of monarchist activists and political prisoners inside Iran, in a statement marking the 4th, 7th and 9th of Aban — the birthday of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Cyrus the Great Day, and the birthday of Prince Reza Pahlavi — declared their support, solidarity and loyalty to Prince Reza Pahlavi.

Full Text of the Statement (translated from Persian)

May Aban, the Month of Kings, be blessed and joyful for all Iranians.

Statement by a group of monarchist activists and political prisoners inside Iran on the celebrations of the Month of Kings (the 4th, 7th and 9th of Aban)

In the glorious name of Iran,
in memory of past glory and in the hope of reaching a free and proud Iran;
in the heart of the darkest days of history, when our beloved homeland Iran lives under the heavy shadow of oppression and tyranny, and many of this land’s children are held behind the cold walls of prison solely for their love of freedom and of their country, we too, with hearts full of love for Iran and hope for a bright tomorrow, raise our voice to our compatriots around the world.

For us Iranians, the month of Aban recalls three great and proud occasions in the ancient history of our land.
Three days, each bound in its own way to our national identity, to our historic glory and to the strength of Iran’s future.

The 4th of Aban, the birthday of His Imperial Majesty Shahanshah Aryamehr Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, our late and honoured king before history, recalls the golden era of construction, progress and national pride.
On this day we honour the memory and name of a king who carried in his heart the dream of a prosperous, powerful and proud Iran, and who devoted much of his life to the progress of this proud land.

The 7th of Aban is the day of honouring the founder of the world’s first empire, Cyrus the Great, who on this day entered the land of Babylon in peace and friendship and gave meaning to human rights. It recalls the ancient roots of Iranian civilisation, the greatness of this land, and a proud heritage that has endured for thousands of years at the heart of world history.
We are the children of the same land whose name Cyrus the Great wrote into history with glory, tolerance and greatness. No prison and no government can take this identity and pride from us.

And the 9th of Aban, the birthday of Prince Reza Pahlavi, is for us a day full of hope for Iran’s future.
On this day, while extending our warmest congratulations to him, we declare our support, solidarity and loyalty to Prince Reza Pahlavi and to the Pahlavi family, the builders of modern Iran.

Dear Prince,
From behind prison walls, we are grateful for your years of effort, steadfastness and your resounding voice for Iran’s freedom.
Separation from our families, deprivation of freedom and the hardships of prison life have neither lessened our love for our homeland nor destroyed our belief in a bright future.

Aware of the difficult path ahead of us, we continue to stand by you, and we believe in your leadership and in your efforts for the unity of the Iranian nation.
Our support and loyalty to you spring from the hope we carry in our hearts for Iran’s liberation from the most tragic days of our ancient history, and for an end to years of suffering and oppression.

We are living through hard days and nights.
Missing our families, the years taken from our lives and the suffering imposed on us and our loved ones are part of the price we pay for our beliefs.
But we still hope that a day will come when no Iranian is imprisoned for their beliefs, their thoughts or their love of freedom.

Our wish is that one day we will live alongside our families, friends and compatriots in a free and proud Iran.
A day when no mother waits for her imprisoned child, and no child longs to see a father or mother behind prison bars.
We believe that day will come, and we will strive with our lives to bring Iran and Iranians to their rightful place, until the day when, together again and without fear or repression, we honour the great figures of Iran’s history and celebrate the birthday of Prince Reza Pahlavi in a free and proud land.

In closing, we extend our congratulations on the 4th of Aban, the birthday of the late Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the 7th of Aban, Cyrus the Great Day, and the 9th of Aban, the birthday of Prince Reza Pahlavi, to him and to all our compatriots in Iran and around the world.

Long live Iran
Javid Shah (Long live the King)

The names of the 171 signatories of this statement are held on record by us.

Cover photos: Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, 1973 (public domain) · Tomb of Cyrus the Great, Pasargadae, Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Prince Reza Pahlavi