Iranian Dissidents Protest at UN, Demanding End to Executions

Thousands of anti-regime protesters converged outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, demanding an end to Iran’s executions of political prisoners and advocating for a free democracy in the country. The demonstration, organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), urged world leaders attending the UN General Assembly to pressure the Islamic republic to halt a recent surge in executions, with over 100 political prisoners reportedly on death row.

Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI's president-elect, criticized the presence of Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, at the UN meeting. She addressed rallygoers via video, stating, "As long as this regime remains in power, repression, executions, terrorism, and warmongering will continue. The solution is regime change by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance."

According to UN figures, Iran has executed at least 56 people on national security-related charges since March 19, following a harsh crackdown on protests that began in January. Last month, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk cautioned that more than 100 individuals were facing death sentences.

Among those recently sentenced to death is Leila Abolhasani, a 43-year-old mother of two, who was reportedly condemned for filming a store fire during the January protests.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a former Trump adviser, also denounced the Iranian delegation's attendance at the UN. He asserted that Iran has not known stability since the 1979 revolution that established the Islamic republic. "The people of Iran are his greatest victims, denied political rights to choose their own government, denied the human rights of freedom of speech and association, and even the right to dress as they so choose, manipulated and exploited by a cynical regime controlled by a military autocracy that is corrupting and stealing the wealth of the people of Iran," Kellogg stated.

Iranian activist Zahra Amanpour emphasized the need to move beyond both the Islamic republic and the past monarchy, calling for democracy to ensure freedom for all Iranians. "The unfinished promise of generations of Iranian struggle is the right of the Iranian people themselves to determine what comes next," Amanpour said. "That is the Iran I believe in — an Iran where women and men are equal, beliefs are freely chosen, leaders are elected rather than inherited, and governments belong to the people rather than the people belonging to their governments."

The protesters chanted slogans such as, "Change Change Change, regime change in Iran," and "Pezeshkian, out of UN! Now, now, now!" The NCRI outlined its platform, calling for popular sovereignty, free elections, separation of religion and state, gender equality, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear Iran.

Earlier this month, former President Trump suggested Iranians should "rise up and fight" as negotiations stalled, though he also acknowledged the challenges protesters face due to a lack of arms against Iran's security forces.