#FireMousavian Campaign

The Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) launched the #FireMousavian campaign in March 2024, demanding the immediate dismissal of Seyed Hossein Mousavian from his position at Princeton University. Mousavian’s troubling history, which includes his association with state-sponsored terrorism and human rights abuses during his tenure as Iran’s Ambassador to Germany, makes his continued role in Western academia unacceptable.

Mousavian’s Role in State-Sponsored Terrorism

As the editor-in-chief of the Tehran Times, Mousavian was instrumental in facilitating the regime’s propaganda, contributing to the cover-up and denial of the Islamic Republic’s human rights abuses. During his time as ambassador to Germany, more than 24 Iranians were assassinated on European soil, including notable figures like Fereydoun Farrokhzad and four Kurdish leaders at the infamous Mykonos Restaurant in Berlin in 1992.

The Mykonos Assassinations were one of the most brazen acts of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, targeting opposition leaders. Testimonies during the German court proceedings linked Mousavian to these assassinations, with witnesses like Abolghasem Mesbahi—a former Iranian intelligence official—testifying that Mousavian had knowledge of and participated in these operations. Mousavian’s role in these crimes reflects his complicity in the regime’s broader network of violence against dissidents.

Our Campaign: #FireMousavian

AAIRIA calls on Princeton University to take decisive action and dismiss Mousavian, demanding the following:

• Investigate Mousavian’s appointment: We urge Princeton University to investigate the hiring process and determine whether Mousavian’s involvement in state-sponsored terrorism and human rights violations was known during his recruitment.
• Terminate Mousavian’s position: His presence at Princeton University undermines its ethical standards and threatens its reputation.
• Release full correspondence: We demand that Princeton release all contracts and financial information associated with Mousavian’s employment, including details of any travel to Iran since his appointment.

Petition for Mousavian’s Dismissal

Our Petition for the Termination of Seyed Hossein Mousavian from Princeton University garnered over 4,500 signatures, calling for immediate action from Princeton’s administration. The petition outlined the risks associated with Mousavian’s continued presence at the university, including his role in supporting the Iranian regime’s agenda and his ties to Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism.

Campaign Milestones and Advocacy

Since March 2024, AAIRIA has engaged in multiple advocacy efforts to bring attention to Mousavian’s actions and press Princeton University for accountability:

• Press Releases and Media Coverage:

We have used media efforts, including articles and interviews, to bring global attention to Mousavian’s controversial past.

• AAIRIA’s Press Conference:

On April 25, 2024, AAIRIA held a press conference in Washington, DC, focused on exposing the global reach of the Iranian regime’s terrorist activities. Several prominent figures shared their experiences:

• Parviz Dastmalchi, a survivor of the Mykonos Restaurant assassinations, recounted his experience and survival while calling for international recognition of the regime’s crimes.
• Farhad Farahzad, a prominent journalist, spoke about being a target of Iranian transnational terrorism and how the regime continues to endanger Iranian dissidents and journalists abroad.
• Roxana Levinson, representing victims of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism in Buenos Aires, shared the stories of her family members who were killed in the 1992 Israeli Embassy bombing and the 1994 AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing in Argentina. Levinson highlighted the regime’s disregard for international law and the global impact of its terrorist activities.

These powerful testimonies underscored the ongoing threat posed by the Iranian regime and called for increased international pressure and accountability.

• Protests at Princeton University:

On April 26, 2024, we organized a large protest at Princeton University’s main gates, attended by Iranian dissidents, activists, and students, demanding his removal.

• International Protest in Hamburg

In addition to our petition, AAIRIA organized an international protest in Hamburg, Germany, in front of the Körber Foundation on June 27, 2024, demanding Mousavian’s removal. This protest highlighted the global outcry over Mousavian’s presence in academia and amplified the campaign’s calls for accountability.

Mousavian’s Continued Ties to the Iran Regime

Seyed Hossein Mousavian is accused of serving the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the regime, which the U.S. State Department designates as the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism. As Princeton University’s Middle East Security and Nuclear Policy Specialist, Mousavian has used his academic prestige to promote the IRI’s image and support its foreign policy goals in the West.

In August 2020, Mousavian attended the funeral of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers. Mousavian subsequently appeared in an Iranian state propaganda film that lionized Soleimani, during which he mocked former U.S. envoy to Iran Brian Hook, stating that Hook’s wife “can’t sleep” and “trembles” in fear of retaliation over Soleimani’s assassination.

Further controversy arose when the U.S. Strategic Command invited Mousavian to speak at a Deterrence Symposium. His remarks during the event—which criticized U.S. policies toward Iran and advocated for policy changes in favor of the regime—triggered a sharp backlash from members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, who demanded an explanation for inviting a known regime propagandist to a high-profile U.S. military event.

Mousavian has maintained close ties to the regime even during his time at Princeton. As a former ambassador to Germany (1990-1997), Mousavian served at a time when the Iranian regime orchestrated assassinations of dissidents in Europe. After a German court implicated the Iranian government in these murders, including the Mykonos assassinations, Mousavian deflected responsibility by claiming it was “the work of the Americans.”

Next Steps

The #FireMousavian campaign continues to seek justice for the victims of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and accountability from Princeton University. Our advocacy aims to ensure that Princeton upholds its ethical responsibilities by terminating Mousavian and releasing all relevant records associated with his employment.