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UPDATE: 1:30 PM CEST
Paris Arrests Sharpen Scrutiny of France’s Ban on Iranian Opposition Rally
French police arrested 20 people in Paris after demonstrators defied a ban on an Iranian opposition rally, turning a public-order decision into a test of France’s handling of protest rights during sensitive diplomacy with Tehran. The rally, organized by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, had been called to protest against political executions in Iran. Several hundred demonstrators gathered at Place Vauban, near Les Invalides, before police moved to disperse them.
French police had banned the demonstration shortly before it was due to take place, citing the risk of clashes between opposing activist groups. The NCRI dismissed that justification as unfounded and challenged the decision, but a Paris court rejected the appeal on Saturday.
The timing made the ban politically sensitive. It was announced after a call between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as European governments were trying to keep diplomatic channels open with Tehran amid wider regional tensions. France’s foreign ministry denied asking for the rally to be cancelled and said the protest had not been discussed during the call.
Thousands of Belgian Iranians Join Large Paris Protests
Thousands of Iranians and supporters protested in Paris on Saturday against a wave of political executions in Iran, despite a ban by French authorities.
Ali Bagheri, an Iranian residing in Belgium, stated that around 50,000 people had travelled to Paris for the demonstrations, fewer than the organisers’ initial target of 100,000 participants.
The protests were organised by Voix d’Iran, a coalition group focused on Iranian issues. However, French authorities prohibited the gathering on Thursday, a decision later upheld by a court. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a part of Voix d’Iran, challenged the ban legally but was unsuccessful.
Despite the prohibition, protesters from diverse countries gathered in several locations across Paris, including Place de la République, Place de la Bastille, and Trocadéro.
Shanin Gobadi, spokesperson for NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee, reported that crowds of around 50,000 had assembled by the early morning before being dispersed by police.
UPDATE: 11:30 AM CEST
Paris Bans Rally as Iranian Dissidents Accuse France of Bowing to Tehran
Tens of thousands of Iranian dissidents gathered Saturday in Paris for a demonstration that was supposed to be filled with historic symbolism: a city synonymous with revolution and resistance hosting a massive call for the oppressive regime in Iran to be toppled. Instead, French authorities banned the march. The result was a confrontation that transformed the annual gathering of the world’s largest Iranian dissident group into a debate about France and whether the government of President Emmanuel Macron yielded to security fears or pressure from Tehran.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the central speakers at the rally organized by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, better known as MEK, used his remarks to criticize France for making what he called a “tragic mistake” by canceling the demonstration, which was intended to be the first large-scale MEK gathering since the start of the Israel- and U.S.-led conflict with Iran earlier this year.
UPDATE: 10:30 AM CEST
Maryam Rajavi’s speech At the Free Iran 2026 conference in Paris
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s speech: “We honor the 45th anniversary of the nationwide Resistance—the day of Iran’s martyrs and political prisoners, and the anniversary of the founding of the National Liberation Army of Iran. Forty-five years of uninterrupted resistance by an entire people against the monster of religious tyranny constitute our greatest asset in the struggle for freedom. This movement founded by Massoud Rajavi is destined to turn the darkest pages in Iran’s contemporary history. He said: ‘Khamenei is dead, and the people will rise to life. The Iranian nation, together with its courageous sons and daughters, stands poised for the decisive battle through uprising and overthrow—the battle of all battles to end a century of dictatorship and herald the blessed birth of freedom and a democratic republic.’
“Khamenei’s son, who for more than a quarter of a century was his father’s accomplice in massacres and repression, has now inherited the crumbling edifice of Velayat-e Faqih. Yet his is a transient rule, with the inevitability of its overthrow written across its forehead. This is the regime’s final stop.”
The Flame of June 20 Lives On: Resistance Units Take to the Streets Ahead of Historic Paris Rally
On June 19, ahead of a momentous anniversary for the Iranian people, the Resistance Units of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) launched a bold campaign of anti-regime activities in the southeastern city of Zahedan. The activists took to the streets to mark June 20, the Day of Martyrs and Political Prisoners.
Through the public display of banners and placards, these brave units renewed their unwavering commitment to the complete overthrow of the clerical dictatorship and the establishment of a democratic, secular republic.
Demonstrating profound political awareness, the Resistance Units spread messages that directly challenged the regime’s survival strategies. Placards welcomed the recent ceasefire, highlighting that war serves as the regime’s shield against popular uprisings, while peace acts as its ultimate “poison.” The activists underscored that the pursuit of nuclear weapons and regional warmongering are core pillars of the ruling religious fascism.
Furthermore, the units drew a firm and historic line against all forms of dictatorship, echoing the central slogan of the Iranian people: “Neither Shah nor mullahs.” Banners explicitly noted that a dictator is a dictator, whether wearing a crown or a turban.
Paris Police Arrest 20 As Demonstrators Defy Ban on Iran Opposition Rally
PARIS, June 20 (Reuters) – Protestors against political executions in Iran gathered in Paris on Saturday in defiance of a ban on the rally, at which police arrested 20 people, according to organisers.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Place Vauban near the Les Invalides monument in central Paris, but were dispersed by police, Shahin Gobadi from the Paris-based NCRI said.
Paris police could not immediately be reached for comment.
French police banned the NCRI Iranian opposition from holding the rally on Saturday, saying there was a risk of clashes between activists holding opposing views, an argument the group described as “bogus”.
Organisers appealed the ban, but on Saturday it was upheld by a Paris court.
The ban on Thursday evening came hours after a call between France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi, during which they discussed the latest developments to end the Iran war.
Iran: Two Young Women Executed at the Central Prison of Qazvin
According to fresh reports, two young women were executed at the Central Prison of Qazvin, northwest of Tehran, in the early hours of Sunday, June 7, 2026.
The two prisoners have been identified as 28-year-old Asieh Farahmand and 32-year-old Zeinab Zarrini.
They had previously been tried in a joint case on charges of deliberate murder and were sentenced to death under the Sharia law of retribution. Both women were from Qazvin and were related to one another. At the time of publication, the execution of the two young women prisoners had not been announced by domestic media outlets or official sources.
With the execution of Asieh Farahmand and Zeinab Zarrini in the Central Prison of Qazvin, the number of women executed in the 2026 calendar year has risen to fifteen. According to data recorded by the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, at least 343 women have been executed in Iran since 2007. Many of the women executed by the Iranian regime are themselves victims of domestic violence and discriminatory family laws. A significant number have acted in self-defense.
Boris Johnson Savages ‘Craven’ France for ‘Bowing’ To Iran
Boris Johnson this afternoon launched a furious attack on France, accusing it of “cravenly bowing” to Iran’s hardline regime after authorities banned a major pro-democracy rally in Paris. The former Prime Minister had been due to address an estimated 100,000 supporters of the Iranian opposition at a mass demonstration in the French capital before a Paris court ordered the event cancelled at the last minute. The decision sparked chaotic scenes as thousands of demonstrators who had already gathered in the city found themselves confronted by large numbers of riot police.
Eye-witnesses claimed tear gas was used against protesters. At least 20 people were reportedly arrested and a dozen others suffered serious injuries. Despite the ban, opposition leaders and international political figures later regrouped at the Paris headquarters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), where Mr Johnson delivered a blistering speech condemning both the Iranian regime and the French authorities.
Speaking to supporters, the former Conservative leader said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the decision to stop the rally, dismissing official explanations as “absolute nonsense”.
He said: “We know the truth. We know why we’ve been prevented from having a proper rally of the kind that was two months in preparation.