Condemnations of the Real Criminals: Israel-U.S. & Iran’s Regime

Many statements have been published against the depraved Israeli bombing of Evin that is known to hold a large number of political dissidents—a war crime. But the failure of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to protect prisoners is itself an abomination. Several accounts, including from eyewitnesses or survivors of Israel’s crimes, also reported that in the day(s) prior, political prisoners had “…warned the authorities and security officials at Evin about the serious dangers and potential consequences of an attack and requested the implementation of judicial rulings for the temporary release of prisoners under wartime conditions” (from the June 30 Instagram of renowned filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof signed by 16 political prisoners). Iran’s Supreme Judicial Council issued a decree in 1986 promising to protect prisoners in wartime—a decree not worth the paper it’s written on as to treasuring precious human life.

A statement by the Iranian Writers Association (reposted by Burn the Cage) said in part (mechanical translation):

Israel, which has been killing the people of Gaza for months and forcing the survivors to die of famine and starvation, has now extended its warmongering and aggression to the people of Iran with its plan for a “new Middle East.” The people who have stood for years against the oppression and crimes of the Islamic Republic, have lost their most beautiful children in street massacres, executions, prisons and detention centers, and have endured poverty, corruption and organized discrimination, are now feeling the footprints of the foreign enemy’s boots on their throats…. The world’s silence in the face of this aggression, under the pretext of the adventurism and tyranny of the Iranian regime, will only magnify the dimensions of the disaster. The Iranian Writers’ Association condemns Israel’s blatant aggression against Iranian territory and calls on freedom-loving writers, intellectuals, and like-minded institutions in Iran and the world to assume their true and enlightening roles and break the bipolarity that dominates the media in favor of hearing the independent voice of the people and strengthening their freedom-loving movements.

An inspiring open letter from Afghanistan women activists said in part:

The stinking corpse of the Islamic Republic should have been buried under your firm steps, not by the firing of missiles by those whose hands are stained with the blood of thousands of women and children in Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon, and now Iran. The downfall of this regime should have been the golden leaf of your struggle, not another page in the book of global crimes of imperialist regimes! The Islamic Republic should have been destroyed, but not by the bloodthirsty regimes that came to Afghanistan twenty years ago with the false slogan of establishing “democracy,” “women’s freedom”, “human rights” and “fighting terrorism”. During these twenty years, not only did women not gain freedom, but they were ultimately handed over to the Taliban’s oppression and complete violation of all human rights by these same regimes…

Our resilient sisters: We know that you are going through difficult days and nights. We know that your hearts are filled with anger, sorrow, cries, and pain. We know how painful it is to see one oppressor fall to another, after you have given your lives, property, shelter, and peace to them for more than forty years. We, the women of Afghanistan, understand this very well. But at the height of these hardships, do not forget that the wounded but steadfast shoulders of your Afghan sisters are by your side. We know the pain, we have lived through exile and homelessness, and with every uprising you make, our pulse beats faster… Don’t forget that at the height of these power-seeking displays by the three patriarchs (Khamenei, Netanyahu, Trump), you are not alone. Our hearts and hands are with you; The hearts and hands of us women who feel that once again our land is being lost, bombed, we are being displaced again, we are being destroyed again, we are being put back at zero; but we do not give up and we will not give up. We will continue, together, more united, more coherent and more sisterly than before! Because what unites us is not only suffering, but the dream of freedom!

These statements show the potential of the people of the world to act on common interest in the fierce struggle for a better future by relying on our own initiative and taking history in OUR own hands.

Monstrous Crime Scene

A detailed, visceral letter from political prisoner Reza Khandan^[1] described how during the transfer to GTP, the terrified prisoners were handcuffed, and armed forces pointed

“…weapons at our chest. In our ward, none of the injured prisoners were taken to the hospital…but were shackled in pairs, each with one free hand to carry all their belongings to the cars at 3 AM, driven through the unbearable fetid stench of Evin’s garbage dump on a route that usually takes 90 minutes but took 6 hours." He points out that Evin, first opened by the US puppet Shah in 1972, has a long history “…full of torture, shootings, executions, and crimes. A unique symbol of violence and repression. Evin Prison has come to an end, but arrests, torture, executions, etc. has not ended in Iranian prisons. Only the location is changing.”

He goes on: “When our convoy of buses was moving along the highways and roads at night, we feared that at any moment dozens of buses carrying prisoners would be attacked on suspicion of a troop transfer. The buses were escorted by military and police vehicles…. Armed soldiers pass by us with contempt, verbal violence, and threats…. The huge line of prisoners who were now also captured reminds us of Nazi German films and concentration camps… subjected to the worst violence, harassment, humiliation, as our human dignity was being trampled on.”

In a recent interview, Satar Rahmani, the London-based designated representative of political prisoner Mehran Raouf, pointed to the urgency of highlighting his case, condemned the inaction of the UK, and noted the real reason why someone like him and many others are imprisoned—for political activities:

He suffers from diabetes, back pains and other related problems of getting older. Despite these issues, he has not been given permission for any medical treatment outside the confines of the prison. He has not been given even one day's furlough. After the attack by Israel on Evin Prison, he has been relocated to another prison with worse conditions than the previous one. It has no medical supplies whatsoever, and does not allow visitation, his health is worsening by the minute. This is occurring while Britain has paid no attention to this dual citizen, despite the fact that I myself have brought this subject to the attention of Parliament and the foreign ministers. That has not resulted in even one meeting [about] Mehran, and Britain's foreign minister in Iran has provided no support to Mehran, despite Amnesty International having brought this subject to the attention of British politicians... superficially, it might appear that Mehran was captured primarily because he was a dual citizen, any deeper look shows instead, that he was arrested for his [political] activities. But the ruling parties and prison authorities were definitely aware of his dual citizen status. They knew that he was the English teacher for these activists [who were arrested with him in the café], and that he was a translator of many books including a book on an investigation of the situation in Iranian society. I think that is the reason why the British government has done nothing on behalf of Mehran Raouf.

Stop Executions! Free Iran’s Political Prisoners!

In an op-ed printed in the New York Times (7/4/25), the Center for Human Rights in Iran reports

…on June 24, the Islamic Republic began a brutal domestic crackdown. Nearly 1,500 Iranians have been arrested, according to activists and human rights lawyers in Iran. They include professors, musicians, students, dissidents, poets, former political prisoners, members of Iran’s religious and ethnic minorities and grieving parents of slain protesters. Executions are underway. Due process is nonexistent..., and hundreds of citizens have reportedly been arrested and charged with antigovernment propaganda for posting comments on social media. Making matters worse, Iran’s Parliament has moved to fast-track legislation that would codify and escalate this repression. The measure’s vague language would equate online activism and information sharing with terrorism and treason. Anyone accused of undermining national security or sharing content with foreign media could face life imprisonment or death.

Besides ethnic groups such as the Kurds and Baluch peoples facing extreme repression, there is also a huge round-up and deportation of tens of thousands of Afghan refugees, many of whom are undocumented laborers,^[2] as part of whipping up a reactionary nationalism among the IRI’s social base by falsely equating “foreigners” or immigrants with Israeli and U.S. espionage.

This involves a new wave of repression on a massive scale that includes executions of prisoners on a daily basis. It poses an imminent threat to the lives of all its political prisoners and threatens any alleged or real (and righteous) political dissent to the war crimes of Israel, U.S. and the IRI who now see a “spy under every bed” or on every street corner.

This again emphasizes the urgency for support and active promotion of the political view and work of the IEC in fighting to free Iran’s political prisoners as stated in our 2021 Emergency Appeal that applies to the UK as well as U.S. and IRI governments today:

All of Iran's political prisoners must be unconditionally and immediately released. The governments of the U.S. and Iran act from their national interests. And, in this instance, we the people of the U.S. and Iran, along with the people of the world, have OUR shared interests, as part of getting to a better world: to unite to defend the political prisoners of Iran. In the U.S., we have a special responsibility to unite very broadly against this vile repression by the IRI, and to actively oppose any war moves by the U.S. government that would bring even more unbearable suffering to the people of Iran. We demand of the Islamic Republic of Iran: FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW! We say to the U.S. government: NO THREATS OR WAR MOVES AGAINST IRAN, LIFT U.S. SANCTIONS!

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