A photograph featuring Panagiotis Lafazanis, the former Syriza minister and founder of “Popular Unity,” went viral, showing him at an anti-war demonstration holding a massive, framed portrait of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The backlash was instantaneous. On social media, many stunned Greeks dismissed the photo as an AI-generated fabrication, arguing that a former European minister holding such a polarizing religious icon was “too surreal” to be true.
Ο Λαφαζάνης διαδηλώνει κατά του πολέμου στο Ιράν με πορτρέτο του Χαμενεΐ – Συμμετείχ σε διαδήλωση στο κέντρο της Αθήναςhttps://t.co/6n03xsCidl… pic.twitter.com/jtnk3OhGnG
— dimosio.gr (@dimosio_gr) March 13, 2026
However, the man behind the lens, veteran photojournalist Giorgos Kontarinis, quickly moved to shut down the rumors. In a stinging rebuke to the skeptics, Kontarinis defended his work, stating, “Stop looking for AI where there is only the toil of a photojournalist. It is sad to have to prove the obvious.” He emphasized that the image was not the product of an algorithm, but of “being on the street” to witness reality.
Lafazanis, a staunch leftist known for his fierce anti-imperialist rhetoric, reportedly carried the portrait during a protest in central Athens to emphasize his opposition to U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. By brandishing the image of the deceased Ayatollah, Lafazanis sought to center the Iranian leadership as the symbol of resistance against Western intervention.
Lafazanis: The controversial former minister
Lafazanis is one of the most controversial figures in modern Greek politics. One of the most infamous moment of his career occurred during the height of the Greek debt crisis in 2015. As the leader of the “Left Platform” within Syriza and serving as Minister of Productive Reconstruction, Environment, and Energy, Lafazanis advocated for a “Plan B” that involved exiting the Eurozone and a return to the drachma.
He reportedly suggested that the government should seize the national mint (Nomismatokopeio) and the reserves of the Bank of Greece (roughly 22 billion euros) to pay pensions and salaries while the country transitioned to a national currency.
This radical stance eventually led to his split from Alexis Tsipras. After Tsipras signed the third bailout (Memorandum), Lafazanis resigned and founded Popular Unity (LAE).