Democracy on Trial

For Mossadegh’s supporters, however, these charges were politically motivated—aimed at silencing a leader who had challenged foreign influence and royal power. The trial, held in late 1953, was widely seen as a political spectacle. Mossadegh, far from submitting quietly, defended himself passionately.

Mossadegh’s trial was never truly about treason. It was about silencing a leader who had dared to challenge foreign domination and royal absolutism. Yet the trial failed in its ultimate aim: rather than erasing him from history, it immortalized him as a national hero and a global symbol of resistance.

August 17, 2025 | 3:07 am