A Cry from the Heart of History: A Martyr’s Sister Carries on the Fight
Paris, April 19, 2025 – Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) held a demonstration in Paris to honor the fallen heroes of April 19 from 1972 and 1975. This historic day has become a symbol of the resistance and sacrifice of generations of Iranian fighters who gave their lives in the face of tyranny.
Among the participants was Mahnaz Javan-Khoshdel, sister of Mostafa Javan-Khoshdel – one of the 13 honored martyrs of this emblematic day. Her presence deeply moved the crowd. Holding a photograph of her brother’s skull, marked by the execution bullet, alongside his portrait, she delivered a deeply emotional speech. Her words echoed pain, defiance, and a relentless demand for justice — a voice for the families who, half a century later, still seek truth and accountability.
They Killed Mostafa, But His Voice Lives On
Today, April 19, is a reminder of the crimes committed by the treacherous Shah and his infernal SAVAK. On this day in 1972, four members of the central committee of our organization were executed by a firing squad. And on April 19, 1975, the Shah executed nine of Iran’s most remarkable sons on the hills of Evin: seven heroic Fedai Guerrillas and two leaders of the Mojahedin – Commander Kazem Zolanvar and my brother, Mostafa Javan-Khoshdel.
Mostafa was arrested in September 1972 at the age of 26. He was in contact with many merchants and workers. During the two and a half years he spent in prison, the criminal Sabeti and all the torturers under his command subjected him to the most horrific torture. But even under SAVAK’s most savage brutality, they could not break his will or extract any information. If you allow me, I’d like to share a few memories of Mostafa.
For a long time, he wasn’t allowed any visits. Once, when my mother went to see him, a torturer arrived with a paper and pen and insisted, “By the honor of His Majesty, if you write just two lines, you’ll be freed immediately.” Mostafa mockingly replied, “I don’t know how to read or write.”
The Shah’s SAVAK had arrested and taken members of our family hostage to pressure Mostafa. I was arrested several times so they could reach my husband. The notorious torturer “Tehrani” constantly pressured me to divorce him.
This tactic of taking families hostage under the Shah is the same dirty policy that has become an official strategy of this regime — advancing its goals through hostage-taking. Unfortunately, European governments still yield to it.
Due to torture, Mostafa became extremely frail and thin. This 26-year-old young man looked like an old man. During the last visit, to hide his condition, they made him wear several layers of clothing to conceal the fact that he was nothing but skin and bones. The visitation room was a tiny space, barely two meters by one. Even there, his torturer, who looked like a monster, stood glued to him.
I must also add that Massoud Rajavi kept the blanket they used to wrap Mostafa in when taking him for torture. After the victorious revolution, he gifted it to the beloved mother of the Rezaei martyrs.
After the revolution, the mullahs tried to destroy the graves of the Mojahedin founders and martyrs, citing the passage of 30 years. But the families did everything they could to prevent these graves from vanishing.
From SAVAK to VEVAK: Fear of a Skull Marked by a Bullet
During the transfer of these martyrs’ remains, one of the attendees noticed the execution bullet mark on Mostafa’s forehead while moving his skull and photographed it.
That very night, the Ministry of Intelligence called him in for questioning — proving that the intelligence apparatus of the mullahs is still run by former SAVAK agents. Otherwise, why would they fear a photograph of a skull marked by a bullet?
There is still much to say, but I won’t take up more of your time.
I just want to emphasize: the Iranian people will overthrow the bloodthirsty Khamenei just as they overthrew the criminal Shah. The day of Iran’s freedom is near — a day for which the Mojahedin and the people of Iran have sacrificed their most beloved for 60 years.
Thank you.
