For an entire week, the whereabouts of 74 Iranian champions of freedom, seized and taken to the regime's detention facility, commonly identified as the 'torture chambers' by the brutal security apparatus of the regime, during the Cyrus the Great uprising on the 28th of October 2016, have remained undisclosed. Circulating rumours suggest that some have faced execution by the regime, charged with posing a ‘threat to the security of the Islamic regime.’ Given the history of the regime’s egregious abuse of human rights, it is not inconceivable that these rumours depict a tragic and devastating reality.

On the eve of the 27th of October, a considerable assembly of Iranians congregated at the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great to commemorate and pay homage to the benevolent Persian emperor, renowned as the ‘Father of the Iranian Nation.’ By the morning of the 28th, tens of thousands of Iranians from all corners of the country had gathered outside the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great, expressing their reverence for the 'Father of the Nation' and the values of liberty, justice, and equality that he bestowed upon the known world in 536 BCE.

Cyrus the Great, not only the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the world's first superpower, subsequently dubbed ‘the Empire of Hearts and Minds’, but also the abolisher of slavery, a champion of tolerance, a pioneer of religious freedom, and an endorser of equality and justice among all his subjects. These principles find embodiment in his decree, inscribed in cuneiform on a cylinder, now housed at the British Museum, acknowledged as the world’s first bill of human rights, dating back to 536 BCE.[[*]]

However, over the past 37 years, the Islamic regime has relentlessly endeavoured to besmirch his name. The regime's clerics, in their attempts, encountered resilient opposition from the nation, considering this assembly as an indictment against the regime and its leaders. Therefore, the gathering was perceived as the greatest insult to the regime's founder and current leaders, prompting the regime forces to appear on the site, attempting to dismantle the assembly.

In response to the regime's forceful attempts, the demonstrators began chanting nationalist slogans such as 'Cyrus is our father; Iran is our country,' which soon evolved into explicit calls for a constitutional monarchy. Slogans criticising the Islamic regime and demanding the return of the monarchy and the Pahlavi dynasty to Iran resonated, including 'Never sleep, Cyrus: Iran has no father'; 'Not Gaza nor Lebanon; My life for Iran'; 'Freedom of thought cannot take place with beards. No Gaza, no Palestine, we will only sacrifice ourselves for Iran'; 'Iran is our country, Cyrus is our father. The clerical rule is synonymous with only tyranny, only war.' However, in the face of brutal crackdowns by the regime's forces, additional chants emerged, such as 'Happy Birthday, O Prince!', a reference to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose birthday coincided with the events, as well as 'I am Iranian; I do not worship the Arabs.' Some have attempted to label the latter as a racist slogan.

Nevertheless, 'I do not worship the Arabs' is a direct reference to Islam's prophet and his family, revered by the regime. The regime leaders also assert themselves as the descendants of the House of Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law) and the early invaders who imposed Islam on Iran. Yet, Iranians, unlike other nations such as Egyptians, have steadfastly retained their ancient identity, celebrating their ancient Iranian traditions while considering Islamic celebrations as foreign and not worthy of observance.

Therefore, by chanting that slogan, they expressed resentment towards the ruling regime and its Islamic beliefs. Worth mentioning, since the rise of the Islamic fundamentalist regime to power, which has endeavoured to turn Iranian national identity into a pure Islamic identity, the percentage of Iranians identifying as Muslim has dropped from 95% to under 35%. If the regime persists in power for another decade or two, it is highly likely that Islam will also perish in Iran along with the regime. This prospect has caused unease not only among Islamists but also among their foreign patrons who have exploited Islam as a tool to hinder Iran's progress. Moreover, there is apprehension regarding the revival of the Persian Empire. Iranians stand as the only nation globally that has established seven empires in their 5,000-year history. Whenever invaded, they have managed to rise from the ashes. However, Islam presents the most formidable obstacle to achieving this historical resilience and advancement.

Nevertheless, subsequent to that defiant chant, the regime's brutal reprisal against the perceived affront on its authority took a divergent trajectory. The focus shifted towards interrogating the very foundational tenets of the regime, leading to aggressive assaults on the demonstrators. This resulted in injuries to an undisclosed number of individuals who were subsequently conveyed to various hospitals in the nearby town and the city of Shiraz. Additionally, hundreds found themselves subjected to arrests.

While a notable number have been released on bail, 74 individuals, deemed more vocal and perceived as a threat to the regime's very existence, not only remain in custody but exhibit a marked reluctance to divulge information about their whereabouts or even confirm their continued vitality to their families.