On April 4, 2026, the Iranian regime executed 66-year-old Abolhassan Montazer and his co-defendant Vahid Bani Amerian on charges of “armed rebellion.” Their deaths followed a brutal wave of executions that claimed the lives of four other PMOI members just days prior. While the regime’s state media desperately tried to brand Montazer as a “terrorist,” his smuggled writings from prison reveal a deeply compassionate freedom fighter, a long-time political prisoner, and a man who consciously embraced death as the price for Iran’s freedom.
Entering the abyss with open eyes
On September 18, 2020, marking the 56th anniversary of the founding of the PMOI, a then 63-year-old Montazer penned a letter as he faced the prospect of returning to the regime’s dungeons. Rather than expressing fear, his words radiated profound resolve and defiance.
“I step forward with a firm resolve and even higher motivation to stand beside my comrades in prison,” he wrote. “Together, we will hold our ground more steadfastly and continue our fight against the demon of the clerical dictatorship.”
In this letter, he made an ultimate vow to the Iranian people and his cause, promising that “to overthrow the criminal and brutal clerical regime, I will not rest for a moment until my last breath and my last drop of blood.” He explicitly asked the PMOI leadership to count on him as a “dedicated Mojahed and a Resistance Unit everywhere, whether outside or inside prison.”
A roadmap of sacrifice and vision
In a letter written from prison in April 2023, Montazer praised the young Resistance Units organizing in Iran’s streets.
He wrote that these units “disrupt the dictatorship” because they possess “organized leadership and a global vision.” He contrasted this forward-looking, democratic movement with the ruling clerics, describing the regime as an “isolated” entity hiding in a small corner of the world.
Montazer knew exactly what these pledges meant. He was fully aware of the regime’s brutality, having witnessed the state-sanctioned murder of fellow PMOI members, such as Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who were hanged in 2025. Yet, knowing the gallows awaited him, he did not waver.
A legacy that cannot be executed
At the end of both his 2020 and 2023 letters, Montazer concluded with a powerful oath that encapsulates his absolute lack of fear and his unwavering dedication to his country.
“In the name of God and in the name of my heroic people, I, Abolhassan Montazer, swear,” he wrote. “My highest wish is to remain a Mojahed, fight like a Mojahed, and die a Mojahed. For this is the path to salvation.”
The clerical regime may have executed Abolhassan Montazer’s body, but his words remain a testament to the unyielding courage of the Iranian Resistance. His life and death serve as a stark reminder to the world that the Iranian people’s thirst for freedom is far stronger than the dictator’s noose.