BRIEF ON IRAN	
No. 440
June 24, 1996


Representative Office of
The National Council of Resistance of Iran
3421 M Street NW #1032
Washington, DC 20007


On anniversary of the beginning of Iranian Resistance against Mullahs' Regime:

In the Largest Gathering Ever of Iranians Abroad, 25,000 Show their Support
for Maryam Rajavi

    LONDON - On Friday, June 21, in an unprecedented event among Iranians
abroad, a gathering of about 25,000 was held in London's Earls' Court Centre
to celebrate the anniversary of their resistance against the mullahs' regime
in Iran.

	Deutsche Presse Agentur, DPA (June 22) reported from London "Maryam Rajavi,
the woman leader and politician of Iranian opposition, this weekend called
for a united "anti-fundamentalism" front  against Tehran's regime.  The
exiled 43-year old during a cultural festival of 'Women, Voice of the
Oppressed,' on Friday night, accused the ruling mullahs of abusing Islam and
slaving women.
	"About 25,000 people... warmly received the President[-elect] of the
National Council of Resistance (based in Paris).  Her presence was under
tough security measures.
	"Rajavi, condemned 'the religious repression' in her homeland and mentioned
several cases of persecution, torture and executions of women.  According to
her, the basic human rights were denied for these women frequently.  She
says, young girls are sold; the widows of war casualties are homeless; and
the girls who are sentenced to death, are raped before their execution.
	"Rajavi says that Ayatollah Khomeini and his successors 'have brought
nothing but repression, bloodshed, destruction and war.'
	"The festival, in which the Iranian singer, Marzieh, and opera singer,
Wilhelmenia Fernandez, from US, came on the stage, was according to the
organizers the first large cultural gathering of Iranian opposition..."

	Reuters (June 22) reported on Saturday that "Maryam Rajavi, a leading
opponent of Iran's Muslim rulers, called on the international community
Friday to take a decisi