The Killing of Khusro Alikardi, Human Rights Lawyer and Counsel for Political Prisoners and Bereaved Families

In Mashhad, and a short time after the killing of Omid Sarlak, this points to a pattern of systematic government killings against Iranian-nationalists and freedom-seekers that has recurred in recent months.

The magnificent presence of people at the funeral and mourning ceremonies for the late Khusro Alikardi and the chanting of Iranian-nationalist slogans such as 'Long live Iran', 'Long live the Shah', 'Reza Shah, may your soul be joyful', and 'This fallen flower has become a gift to the homeland', along with the singing of the national anthem 'Ey Iran' in recent days, demonstrate Iranians' insistence on the necessity of freeing the country from the Islamic Republic and replacing this regime hostile to Iran with a national government.

As Prince Reza Pahlavi also noted in his message, a 'worthy tribute' to the late Khusro Alikardi shows that 'an aware nation does not fall for the scenario-building and false narratives of the Islamic Republic' and 'knows the truth of this regime's repression and crimes with all its heart.'

As he emphasized, 'All evidence and reports indicate that the murder of this brave and activist lawyer was carried out as part of a new wave of government killings aimed at eliminating patriots and freedom-seekers.'

On the other hand, the steadfastness of Javad Alikardi, the slain lawyer's brother, in seeking justice—and his insistence on pursuing the matter through international bodies if the intelligence agencies of the Islamic Republic do not return the footage from the 16 CCTV cameras at the scene of the killing, as well as his declaration of dissociation from the state institution Bonyad-e Shahid (Martyrs Foundation)—is a notable and commendable act.

Systematic government killings of Iranian-nationalists stem from the regime's fear of the national movement against the Islamic Republic; and ultimately, as Prince Reza Pahlavi has stressed, with steadfastness and national cooperation, light will triumph over darkness and the instigators and perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice.