Democracy on Trial

Mossadegh spent three years in Tehran’s military prison before being transferred to his home in Ahmadabad, where he lived under house arrest until his death in 1967. His trial and sentencing symbolized the end of brief democratic experiment and the consolidation of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s autocratic rule, heavily backed by Western powers.

For many , Mossadegh remained a national hero—a man punished not for treason, but for his courage in defending independence. Mossadegh’s trial is remembered today as a political turning point. It exposed the extent of foreign interference and marked the suppression of democratic forces in favor of authoritarian monarchy.

August 17, 2025 | 3:07 am