Rally in front of the White House to demand transparency from the Islamic Republic regarding Reza Shah's body
The National League for Democracy in Iran organized a rally in front of the White House to emphasize transparency and proper treatment of Reza Shah's body.
The rally was held on Sunday afternoon, May 29, in Lafayette Park across from the White House, following reports that Reza Shah's mummy had been found and that it was likely buried.
A number of participants in the rally, in an interview with the Persian service of the Voice of America, praised President Trump's actions to support human rights in Iran.
One of the participants also expressed hope to VOA that President Trump would decide to withdraw from the JCPOA on May 12.
According to him, with the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the country's economic situation will worsen and the conditions of the Islamic Republic's government will become critical.
The rally was held a day after a Tehran city council member announced that the possible mummy of Reza Shah had been buried.
Prince Reza Pahlavi had previously sent a message stating that the body found most likely belonged to Reza Shah, asking all Iranians to honor his memory and name as true guardians of his legacy through social media and peaceful nationwide gatherings, and to help hold the government accountable and bring the matter to a proper and transparent conclusion.
While officials had still refused to confirm the subject or fate of the discovered body, on Thursday night, officers in the area of the Shah Abdul Azim shrine in the city of Rey prevented a group of people from attending to pay their respects to the body of Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Earlier this week, while digging near the shrine of Abdul Azim in the city of Rey, south of Tehran, workers found a mummified body after breaking through a concrete block. Rumors quickly spread that the body belonged to Reza Shah Pahlavi, and a number of officials immediately implicitly confirmed the matter. Among them, Hassan Khalilabadi, a member of Tehran City Council and head of the council’s Cultural Heritage Committee, said that there was a possibility that the body belonged to Reza Shah. He also said that whoever owned the body, it had heritage value and should be preserved.
After these comments, some state media outlets attempted to deny the issue.
Reza Shah Pahlavi died in exile in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1945, but was later transferred to Tehran and buried in the city of Rey.
Source: Voice of America
