PARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) — Thousands of Iranian dissidents gathered in Paris on Saturday to call for the fall of Iran’s government, joined by Ukrainians protesting Tehran’s support for Russia in the ongoing war. The demonstration, organized by the (NCRI), a Paris-based group banned in Iran, highlighted calls for regime change as tensions in the country escalate.
The protest comes amid the imminent execution of two NCRI members and the death sentences of six more handed down in November.
Addressing the crowd, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi declared, “We say your demise has arrived. With or without negotiations, with or without nuclear weapons, uprising and overthrow await you.”
Protesters from across Europe waved Iranian flags and chanted anti-regime slogans, while images mocking Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were displayed prominently.
Hundreds of Ukrainians joined the rally, condemning Iran’s role in supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts. “I’m happy to see these Iranians because they are opposition,” said Iryna Serdiuk, a 37-year-old interpreter originally from the Donbass region of Ukraine. “They support Ukraine, not the Iranian government, which gives Russia weapons. We are together, and one day it will be victory for Ukraine and Iran too.”
Mohammad Sabetraftar, a 63-year-old Iranian taxi business owner living in the UK after 40 years in exile, defended the NCRI as the only group capable of establishing democracy in Iran. “What we expect from Mr. Trump or any Western politician is not to support this government. We don’t need money or weapons — we rely on the people. No ties, no connections, and put as much pressure on this government as possible.”
Tehran has repeatedly demanded a crackdown on the NCRI, which operates from Paris, Riyadh, and Washington.
In January, a U.S. envoy for Ukraine spoke at an NCRI-organized conference in Paris, emphasizing the return to a “maximum pressure” policy aimed at crippling Iran’s economy to force negotiations on its nuclear and missile programs.
Sixteen-year-old Homa Sabetraftar, who traveled from Britain to participate, expressed her sense of duty to represent Iran’s youth. “Some people in Iran don’t have a voice and can’t vocalize as freely as we can here,” she said. “We need to push for a better future.”