In recent weeks, several collective efforts by Iran’s political prisoners have emerged to protest the current “hanging spree”1 by the Islamic Republic of Iran, with many more executions looming. The fact that this resistance is taking place behind the walls and under the very eye of the “Republic of Executioners” highlights the urgency to make the struggle to free them all an international demand. Their inspiring courage and camaraderie under dire conditions should be spread and emulated.
The weekend of May 20-21 saw protests in numerous cities around the world against the executions in Iran that needs to continue in advancing a global movement to free Iran’s political prisoners with determination, innovation and urgency.
Golrokh Iraee wrote inside Evin: “The political women of Evin Prison held a ceremony on Saturday [May 20] at 6 pm in the courtyard of the women's prison to protest the recent executions, including the execution of two people in Arak prison on the charge of blasphemy and the three recently executed in Isfahan. In this ceremony, a number of attendees presented their views.”
Her IG post includes this graphic with very brief summaries from each speaker; the post and comments present the full speeches in Farsi. Translations below are by an IEC volunteer.
The title reads: “Executions will only strengthen the people's will to resist”
Top row, left to right:
- Bahareh Hedayat: “The people have always been at the forefront of protests, have accepted its dangers, and willing to pay for it with their lives.”
- Sepideh Gholian: “We will put all we have into the fight for these people and this land.”
- Golrokh Iraee: “Our silence only gives permission to those responsible for these heinous crimes and makes us complicit in erecting the gallows.”
- Mahvash Shahiari: Along with offering condolences to the families of those executed, Mahvash expressed concern and sadness for the increase in the number of executions.
- Narges Mohammadi: “The regime is using executions and killings to exact violent revenge on people's revolutionary movement.”
Bottom row left to right:
- Shakila Monfared: “If we do not protest today, tomorrow will be our turn. Since executions began increasing, I have been thinking of the famous quote that: ‘first they came for the communists, but we remained silent because we are not communists…. Then they came for us and there was no one left to speak up.’ It doesn't matter what is the alleged reason for the execution, if we do not speak up today, tomorrow we will be the ones executed.”
- Zohreh Sarv: “We will decisively put an end to this bloodthirsty and misogynistic government.” [from her full statement]
- Vida Rabbani: “Years ago, we told the Islamic Republic everything that we had to say…. Their answer to protests is blood running in the streets.” [from iranwire.com]
- Nasrin Khazri Javadi: “We are now witnessing the spilling of our youths’ blood by executions … while young people’s blood is still fresh in the streets.”
- Faezeh Hashemi: “If the IRI is serious about punishing wrongdoers, then where are the sentences for those who committed mass executions in the 1980s, the serial killings of the green movement...?”
Golrokh’s post continues: “It is no longer enough to verbally condemn the Islamic Republic and ask for an end to executions.... We must go to the streets, without masks, to take our rights and to save the lives of dozens of people who shall be hanged by tomorrow morning’s call to prayer or in the following days.”
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Reported from Ghezel Hesar prison: “This is the way heroes act, they continue their struggle even in captivity. A number of prisoners of the 2nd ward of Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj started their hunger strike since Sunday [May 21], after hearing the news of the executions of Saeed Yaghoubi, Majid Kazemi and Saleh Mir Hashemi, opposing the rise of numbers of executions in Iran. This is heroic act, while in captivity by Islamist criminals, waging war against them.” – IG post by @aworldwithoutborder, May 23, 2023
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Six political prisoners in the men’s ward of Evin Prison issued a statement, which includes:
“Contrary to the government’s always incorrect calculations, the terror resulting from the execution will not prevent people from trying and fighting to rule over their own destiny.” —Mostafa Tajzadeh, Amirsalar Davodi, Hossein Razak, Reza Shahabi, Saeed Madani, Kivan Mehtadi, May 21, 2023