German institute cancels event featuring US-Iranian analyst after backlash

The German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) canceled a Berlin event featuring Iranian-American analyst Trita Parsi, citing security concerns after public backlash over his participation.

"Protests against the program have forced us to postpone, as we feel unable to guarantee the security of the event and panel members," GIGA said in a statement.

Parsi is accused by some dissidents and opponents of the Islamic Republic of furthering Tehran's policy narratives in the West.

An Iran International investigation in 2023 linked him and other oft cited analysts as being a part of a grouping formed by the Iranian government with the aim of advancing its perspectives on nuclear talks in the run-up to an international deal in 2015.

GIGA had planned to host the event on Feb. 17 where Parsi was to discuss a recent report on the prospects of multilateralism from the Quincy Institute, where Parsi is the executive vice president.

Following the announcement of Parsi as a speaker, a petition launched on Monday demanding that GIGA rescind his invitation gathered over 4,800 signatures within four days before the event was canceled.

Political activists and opponents of the Islamic Republic had also taken to social media to protest Parsi’s participation, accusing him of lobbying for Tehran and calling for institutions to prevent figures associated with the Iranian government from attending research conferences.

Some protesters had warned they would stage demonstrations outside the event venue if it was not canceled.

"We share the concerns of many protesters about the authoritarian government in Iran and its regional role, but neither the role of Iran or any other specific country was the topic of this event," GIGA added it its statement.

No new date has been announced for the rescheduled event.

This is not the first time Parsi has taken part in GIGA’s events. In 2024, he spoke at two online discussions hosted by the institute, where he addressed topics such as the future of Iran’s allied forces in the Middle East and the Israel-Hamas war.

Swedish broadcaster TV4 recently reported that Parsi’s brother, Rouzbeh Parsi, head of the Middle East program at Sweden’s Foreign Policy Institute, was linked to a network within Iran’s foreign ministry that sought to influence Western policies.

In 2023, a joint investigative report by Iran International and Semafor uncovered thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, exposing a network of academics and think tank analysts cultivated by Iran's Foreign Ministry to advance Tehran's soft power agenda.

This network, known as the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), was reportedly directed by the Foreign Ministry in shaping public commentary and media appearances. Members of the IEI held influential positions in Western think tanks and policy institutions, playing a pivotal role in promoting Iran's viewpoints on the global stage.