The people of Iran, especially women and girls, have to adhere to strict dress regulations, and cannot socialise freely. Women are particularly disadvantaged and treated as inferior. Anyone expressing dissent risks jail, torture, or even execution. Minorities are treated as inferior and the opposition is classed as terrorist by the regime.

The MEK, the opposition, has been on the receiving end of the regime’s wrath for decades. The Iranian regime had persuaded the US to add the MEK to its terror list. When it was rightly removed from the list, the Iranian regime accused the US of terrorism.

When the final residents from Camp Liberty in Iraq were relocated to European countries, the regime regarded this as a declaration of war against it.

What the regime fears the most is another uprising like the one in 2009. The state news outlets have been reporting about the MEK’s activities that are getting more and more intense, saying how it is “creating chaos”.

The opposition is faced with the challenge of the state media which is controlled by the IRGC, but satellite TV allows it to expose the activities carried out by the regime. In fact, the opposition has been instrumental in exposing many ongoing illegal acts that the Iranian regime is carrying out including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

There has been a renewed call for justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre. The Iranian regime and the Supreme Leader are not happy that the incident has been brought back to the forefront of memories. More than ever, the opposition is facing pressure from the Iranian regime and is in a dangerous position after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a fire-at-will order. This gives the country’s security agents and forces the power to act as they see fit.

On 1st July, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) will be holding its annual gathering in Paris where there will be Iranians and prominent political figures from across the world that will come and pledge support to the Iranian people and the Resistance.

It is expected that many of the dignitaries will denounce the Iranian regime for its abuses of human rights and its spread of terrorism and will urge their respective governments to ensure the regime is held accountable.