Petr Novak

100,000 troops in Europe. Zero help on Hormuz. Bring them home now. No more free rides.

At dawn today, Vahid Bani Amerian and Abolhassan Montazer were hanged in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj. The two heroic members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) have now joined their comrades who laid down their lives in the struggle for freedom, including Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvar Kar, Babak Alipour, and Pouya Ghobadi. The ruling religious dictatorship in Iran has once again shed the blood of two of the Iranian people’s most courageous sons, exposing its fear and desperation in the face of organized opposition, the PMOI/MEK and the Liberation Army. Vahid Bani Amerian was a fearless commander of Resistance Units, consistently on the front lines of confrontation with the inhuman enemy, both in resistance activities and during his imprisonment. Abolhassan Montazer, a former political prisoner under the Shah, spent nearly 11 years in prison after the 1980s. He was regarded as a steadfast figure and a source of support for fellow political prisoners. The ruling mullahs, by executing steadfast opposition members --Vahid Bani Amerian, Abolhassan Montazer, Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, and Pouya Ghobadi-- vainly attempts to delay their inevitable downfall. Yet these unjustly shed lives will not silence dissent. Instead, they deepen public outrage and strengthen the resolve of freedom fighters, amplifying both anger and determination in the face of repression. These fallen heroes are teachers of resilience, integrity, and sacrifice, whose stories will resonate with a younger generation that continues to take part in waves of protests and uprisings. Among them are young people such as Amirhossein Hatami, Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi, who were executed in recent weeks by the clerical regime, and joined the galaxy of fallen freedom fighters. Once again, I call for a special session of the United Nations to address the ongoing executions of political prisoners in Iran and to take immediate, practical measures to help prevent further loss of life. There is an urgent need for international attention to the situation of PMOI members and other political prisoners, as well as detained rebellious youth across the country who are facing execution.

France, a NATO member, siding with Moscow, Beijing and Tehran, against the US and Arab countries. Kind of problematic. Is there any emerging French leader who we can imagine to be like Captain Louis Renault throwing a bottle of Vichy water in the trash?

The Passion of Jesus returned to Trafalgar Square on Good Friday - an epic retelling of Christ’s journey to the cross with a cast of more than 100 actors and volunteers. Londoners and visitors gathered in the heart of the city to witness this powerful reenactment for Holy Week.