Vahid Beheshti: ‘10,000 ’ to join Downing Street rally against Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Thousands are expected to join a mass rally this weekend calling on the government to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror organisation.

This is one of the many actions taken in support of British-Iranian activist Vahid Beheshti, who has been on hunger strike for the last 62 days, and estimates 10,000 people could join the rally.

The 46-year-old has been camped outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office since February 23, and over the last eight weeks he has received an outpouring of love and support worldwide.

Since the start of his protest, Mr Beheshti has received visits from politicians and activists, his plight has been debated in parliament several times and more recently more than 100 cross-party MPs have signed a letter to the Prime Minister backing his demand.

This Saturday an “enormous” rally has been organised where protesters will march from the London Eye to Downing Street with one demand: to designate the IRGC a terrorist organisation.

Speakers including Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi are expected to attend.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was set up after the 1979 revolution in Iran to defend the country’s Islamic system.

The group has gained worldwide attention in recent months due to its brutal crackdown on protesters in Iran, led by women fighting for their human rights.

The Iranian regime’s actions at home and abroad in recent months compelled Mr Beheshi to use his voice to speak out in defence of people in his homeland whom he says are suffering for simply voicing opposition to the regime.

“I am getting the feeling that the government is starting to listen to our request,” Mr Beheshti told LondonWorld from his tent outside the Foreign Office.

“Still our Prime Minister tries to pretend that I don’t exist.

“But I think at some point he will listen.

“I said from day one this is something we need to do together.”

The UK government announced on Monday that they were announcing further sanctions on the Iranian regime, but Mr Behehsti says sanctions are not enough.

The latest UK sanctions are against four IRGC commanders, under whose leadership IRGC forces have opened fire on unarmed protestors resulting in numerous deaths, including of children, and have arbitrarily detained and tortured protesters.

“The new sanctions are a very positive step. I embrace it but it’s not effective,” he explained.

“Sanctioning these people would work in the short term but they are laughing at us.

“The only effective way of dealing with them is proscribing them under this critical situation.”

Mr Beheshti, who has been surviving on a diet of coffee, water, sugar and salt has become weak, lost 17% of his body mass and is using a wheelchair.

But he remains determined to continue.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:”The Iranian regime is responsible for the brutal repression of the Iranian people and for exporting bloodshed around the world.

“That’s why we have more than 300 sanctions in place on Iran, including on the IRGC in its entirety.

“The UK and our international partners are again making clear today that we will not overlook the regime’s brutal oppression.

“We will continue to take a range of actions to hold the regime to account for its actions.”

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman is responsible for proscribing groups as terrorist entities.

A UK government spokesperson said: “Whilst the government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not comment on whether a specific organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.”