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From the International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners NOW (IEC):

Monitor Burn The Cage Instagram and Twitter for Real Time Updates on the Rapidly Unfolding Events at Evin Prison in Iran

Revcom.us Editors’ Note: We received this urgent alert from the International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners NOW (IEC)

Below is an urgent – both brave and sober – message from our friends in the Burn the Cage/Free the Birds movement in Europe today (10/2/2022) on the imminent threat to the lives of Iran’s political prisoners and announcing a brave sit-in at Evin. We are also sharing, in a box below, the Burn the Cage statement from October 1, 2022, to provide crucial background to what is unfolding in the prison yard of Evin; go here for a pdf of this statement to distribute at demonstrations, forums, etc.

As our Emergency Appeal made clear: “All those who stand for justice and yearn for a better world must rally to the cause of freeing Iran’s political prisoners now. We call on you to find ways to realize this with a renewed sense of purpose and immediacy – via social media or IRL (e.g., on campuses). Also made clear in the Emergency Appeal: “This regime has a blood-stained record of attempting to violently crush any form of resistance – including sudden mass executions of political prisoners as happened in 1988.”

The beautiful and heroic uprising in Iran against the regime’s murder of Mahsa (Jina) Amini for the past several weeks only heightens the danger as the fascist theocrats have their backs up against the wall. The outpouring globally, especially on October 1, is part of shining a light on the regime as a measure to stop their murderous crime on the political prisoners. But we must not relent but, rather, increase the light and heat on the regime. We must not let the dangerous “left” movement idiocy that the IRI is an anti-US-imperialist force to carry the day. NO! The IRI is reactionary and the US imperialists more so. We choose and fight for another way along with our sisters and brothers on the streets and in the prisons of Iran. We must ACT now!

IEC volunteers take responsibility for the English translation from Farsi statements.

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Call for the release of political prisoners nationwide! The wave of our rebels’ struggles reached the prisons too! – October 2, 2022

According to the news from the women’s section of Evin Prison, the imprisoned activists have announced that they will hold a sit-in in the prison yard beginning tomorrow, as a protest against the brutal crackdowns of the Islamic Regime and in support of protesters in the streets. The security measures inside the prison have been redoubled and in different parts of the prison they have added barriers and barbed wire.

Fighters:

We must turn the slogan of “Free the Political Prisoners” into a widespread public demand. In recent days, thousands of people or more have been arrested. They are in extremely poor conditions in the prisons. The lives of our loved ones are in danger.

This is a serious threat!

Make the slogan of “Free the prisoners” part of every demonstration. Make this the main point in social media storms and interviews with the media. The families of political prisoners should not be left alone. Don’t let the criminal regime pressure prisoners’ families or commit more crimes against the prisoners.

We need our beloved ones freed from prison and on the streets.

Turn the cry for the release of political prisoners into an epidemic and a global voice!

Defeat the Repressive Wind of the Islamic Republic!

All Political Prisoners Must Be Freed Immediately! – October 1, 2022

Greetings to all who love freedom worldwide!

To the rebel protesters in the streets:

The fiery cry of your heroic rebellion has shaken this rotten system [Islamic Republic] to the core and has warmed the hearts of millions around the world! Your sisters and brothers in all corners of the world are exhilarated and inspired by your bravery and dedication, and you have been a breath of fresh air in a world full of war, poverty, death, tyranny, and environmental destruction. 

Yes, we – the people of the world – truly have no borders!

Our friends in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Colombia, the United States, Spain, Chile and many other countries in the world have risen also in support of you rising up and raising the banner: “No!” “I am a human being!" They have responded with support, “Your pain is my pain.”  This is striking fear into the hearts of their ruling tyrants. Also, many of the world’s intellectuals and artists have joined this glorious wave inspired by you and are supporting your cause.

Without a doubt you bring hope to the many people who are desperate in Iran, the Middle East and the whole world. You have pumped fresh blood into the tired bodies and minds of the Iranian masses. You have given us a new hope and have shown that we don’t need to choose between bad and worse. There is a path of life, a way forward: to rise up against reactionary tyrants and oppressors.

Now is the time to free the political prisoners from the dungeons of the Islamic Republic!

The regime’s security forces are arresting more and more innocent people. Prisoners’ families and lawyers are reporting horrendous and dangerous conditions inside the regime’s prisons. According to some reports, more than 3,000 people have been transferred to Evin and Fashafuyeh prisons. [Fashafuyeh = Greater Tehran Prison – ed.]  Prisoners are under constant interrogation and most of the women prisoners have been transferred to Qarchak prison. One of the prisoners, Yalda Moayeri, said in an audio file, "Our lives are constantly in danger. More than 100 people have been jammed into a gymnasium, without ventilation or air conditioning. There are no proper bathrooms or showers and [the guards – ed.] constantly give people sedatives."

In a brief phone call from Qarchak prison, Maryam Karim Beigi told her mother that “we are held in very inhumane spaces, and constantly dehumanized and threatened” and “another Kahrizak may happen here.” [Kahrizak prison was infamous for torture and murder of protesters arrested in the 2009 “green movement” protests. – ed.]

Be Warned!

People in the streets, and workers, students, teachers, university students, professors, artists and athletes:

Raise your voices to demand the immediate release of political prisoners. Do not leave the families of political prisoners stranded and alone. Go together with the prisoners’ families to the prison gates and make an uproar so that the regime’s hands will be tied against further crimes.

People who are affluent:

Please lighten the load of political prisoners by raising funds for their families’ travel expenses from distant cities to visit them.

People outside Iran, you who have become the Iranian people’s voice to the world:

Demand the “immediate release of political prisoners” in a storm of social media; celebrities and human rights activists, make this the main point in your interviews with international media. Use any tool that you can to help the families of political prisoners and the families of the victims of the Islamic Republic.

Families of the prisoners:

Send the message to our sisters and brothers inside the prisons, “You are not alone, we are with you!” There are now millions of people in this country and other countries of the world that support you and your cause.

It has been over 350 hours since the Islamic republic murdered our dear Mahsa. It is time to free all the political prisoners!

Make the immediate release of political prisoners a worldwide demand!

Down with Islamic Republic of Iran!

~Burn the Cage / Free the Birds Campaign @burnthecage

Poster from Burn the Cage of Iranian women prisoners

 

Burn the Cage poster of women prisoners in Iran    Credit: Burn the Cage