FISN Editorial Board: This open letter, signed by former world leaders, ministers, ambassadors, international jurists, and lawmakers from across the globe, expresses deep concern that Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah, announced on June 29, 2025, a scheme to recruit members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) through a so-called “secure communication channel.” The letter also references the July 2, 2025 article published by the Free Iran Scholars Network, titled “Reza Pahlavi: An Alternative or an Obstacle to Change,” which examined the implications of this troubling initiative. Free Iran Alliance, which initiated this letter is a coalition of distinguished leaders, including former heads of state, ministers, and other prominent figures committed to advocating for a free and democratic Iran.
Dear Honourable Leaders and Speakers,
We are from legal and political backgrounds committed to human rights, democracy, and the aspirations of the Iranian people, and we write to you regarding the critical situation in Iran and its consequences for our own global security.
There is growing concern about Iran’s continuing sponsorship of terrorism. On 9 July 2025, a Spanish investigative judge issued a damning indictment, explicitly stating that the attempted assassination of a former Vice President of the European Parliament was due to his support for the Iranian opposition. The indictment further states that the mastermind of the attack is in Iran.
A report by the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, also published on 9 July 2025, expresses concern about Iran’s terrorist activities in the UK.
Amid this situation, it is troubling that Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, announced on 29 June 2025 a scheme to recruit members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) to join his ranks via a “secure communication channel”.
The Free Iran Scholars Network reports1 that this outreach to the forces of repression has prompted considerable unease among many Iranians, both within the country and in the diaspora, not least given the documented involvement of the IRGC and similar bodies in human rights abuses and transnational repression.
This recent initiative aligns with Mr. Pahlavi’s previous statements indicating ongoing engagement with the regime’s security forces. For instance, in a 2018 interview2, he claimed “bilateral contacts” with the IRGC and Basij; in 2016, he suggested3 the IRGC “could have a role” post-regime; and in 2017, he defended4 IRGC members as “part of the Iranian people.”
His longstanding ties to former SAVAK officials and political allies with suspected connections to Iran’s intelligence services further erode trust among Iranians seeking a clean break from authoritarian legacies. His followers have demonstrated behaviours akin to neo-fascist tendencies, attacking advocates of a democratic republic—sometimes in coordination with regime operatives.
We therefore strongly condemn Mr. Pahlavi’s outreach to regime-affiliated forces as an alarming development that risks compromising the opposition movement and hindering genuine democracy.
SIGNED:
Lord Alton of Liverpool – (United Kingdom)
Chair, UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR)
Joachim Rücker – (Germany)
Former President of the UN Human Rights Council
Guy Verhofstadt – (Belgium) Former Prime Minister
Enda Kenny – (Ireland) Former Prime Minister
Anneli Jäätteenmäki – (Finland) Former Prime Minister
Mirek Topolánek – (Czech Republic) Former Prime Minister
Geir H. Haarde – (Iceland) Former Prime Minister
Joseph Muscat – (Malta) Former Prime Minister
Mario Frick – (Liechtenstein) Former Prime Minister
Yves Leterme – (Belgium) Former Prime Minister
Petre Roman – (Romania) Former Prime Minister
Mark Ellis – (United Kingdom) International lawyer
John Bercow – (United Kingdom)
Former Speaker of the House of Commons
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría – (Costa Rica) Former President
Rosalía Arteaga Serrano – (Ecuador) Former President
Avdullah Hoti – (Kosovo) Former Prime Minister
Alexandru Athanasiu – (Romania) Former Prime Minister
Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría – (Costa Rica) Former Vice President
Maria Celeste Cardona – (Portugal) Former Justice Minister
Jeppe Kofod – (Denmark) Former Foreign Minister
Tonio Borg – (Malta) Former Foreign Minister
Dick Spring – (Ireland) Former Foreign Minister
Juan Esteban Aguirre Martinez – (Paraguay) Former Foreign Minister
Ryszard Kalisz – (Poland) Former Interior Minister
Jan-Erik Enestam – (Finland)
Former Secretary General of the Nordic Council; Former Defence Minister
Anatol Șalaru – (Moldova) Former Defence Minister
Judy Sgro – (Canada)
Former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Amb. Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr. – (United States)
Former Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs
Linda Chavez – (United States)
Former Director, White House Office of Public Liaison
Gen. Chuck Wald – (United States)
Former Deputy Commander of US European Command
Amb. Robert Joseph – (United States)
Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Edvarð Júlíus Sólnes – (Iceland) Former Environment Minister
Wolfgang Schomburg – (Germany)
Former Judge, International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; Former Judge, Federal Supreme Court of Germany
Prof. Franklin Dehousse – (Belgium)
Former Judge, General Court of the European Union
Stanislav Pavlovschi – (Moldova)
Former Judge, European Court of Human Rights
Christoph Degenhart – (Germany)
Former Judge, Constitutional Court of the State of Saxony
Baroness O’Loan DBE MRIA – (United Kingdom) Former Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
Amb. Zorica Marić-Djordjević – (Montenegro)
Former Ambassador of Montenegro to the UN Human Rights Council
Amb. Amanda Ellis – (New Zealand)
Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations in Geneva
Amb. Ken Blackwell – (United States)
Former US Ambassador to the UN Commission on Human Rights
Christine Arrighi – (France)
Member of the National Assembly
Emanuele Pozzolo – (Italy)
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Lord McCabe – (United Kingdom) Member of the House of Lords
Sen. Robert Torricelli – (United States) Former Senator
Rt Hon David I Jones – (United Kingdom) Former Secretary of State for Wale
