The Iranian regime’s relentless campaign of executions has failed to intimidate the nation’s youth. On April 20, the religious dictatorship hanged two members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), Commander Hamed Validi and Mohammad (Nima) Massoum-Shahi. With this atrocious crime, the number of PMOI members executed in just the past three weeks has risen to eight. In addition, eight other young protesters have been executed during this period, including one detainee from the recent uprisings who was killed under torture.
The mullahs are actively exploiting wartime conditions to resort to relentless executions. The regime’s objective in carrying out these killings is clear: to spread fear and terror among Iran’s youth and prevent them from joining the ranks of the Resistance Units. However, the immediate and defiant public response from the Resistance Units proves that the regime’s efforts are entirely futile.
Resistance units honor martyrs across Iran
Following the executions, Resistance Units swiftly mobilized across multiple major cities, honoring the fallen PMOI members and demonstrating unbroken resolve. In the capital, Tehran, activists laid a flower wreath bearing the message: “Honoring PMOI martyrs Commander Hamed Validi and Mohammad Massoum-Shahi.”
Members in Tehran also put up images of the martyrs accompanied by defiant messages, including a placard declaring, “The path of PMOI martyrs Commander Hamed Validi and Mohammad (Nima) Massoum-Shahi will continue. We swear on the blood of the martyrs that we will stand till the end.” Another bold message read, “We will continue the path of PMOI martyrs… until the overthrow the criminal regime of the mullahs and the establishment of freedom in Iran.”
April 25—Iran
Resistance Units commemorate Hamed Validi and Mohammad (Nima) Massoum-Shahi, two PMOI members executed by Iran's regime on April 20. pic.twitter.com/xR0OVvj2uv— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 27, 2026
The acts of defiance extended well beyond the capital. In Shiraz, Resistance Unit members held placards and photos of Validi and Massoum-Shahi, with one message reading, “We swear on the blood of our comrades that we will stand till the end.” Another activist held a placard stating, “The path of PMOI martyrs… will continue until the overthrow of the regime and the freedom of Iran.”
In Karaj, activists displayed images of the executed PMOI members, distributing messages that stated, “We honor PMOI martyrs Hamed Validi and Mohammad Massoum Shahi. We swear on the blood of the martyrs that we are ready on the battlefield,” alongside salutes to their “honor and steadfastness.” Similar brave displays of solidarity occurred in Mashhad and Kermanshah, where Resistance Unit members held placards featuring images of the two commanders in public spaces.
Regime’s existential fear of organized opposition
The regime’s horrific reliance on capital punishment highlights a deep-seated vulnerability. Today, the clerical regime stands at the brink of overthrow and has never been as fragile or weak. Notably, the regime’s leaders do not consider external war to be the primary threat to their existence. Instead, they view widespread public outrage and the organized opposition as their most significant existential threat.
Since the massive nationwide uprising this past January, the regime has kept its forces heavily deployed in the streets out of fear of another popular revolt. During that uprising, the organized resistance witnessed steady and growing momentum. The Resistance Units played a vital role in expanding the protests and giving them direction. In defense of unarmed demonstrators, these units bravely confronted brutal state repression, carrying out 630 operations against centers of the Revolutionary Guard, the Basij, and other regime institutions.
In a desperate bid to maintain control, the regime’s judiciary chief has ordered intensified pressure and torture on political prisoners, expediting sham trials and criminal sentences. Presently, 11 political prisoners accused of membership in the Mojahedin are under sentence of death, leaving political prisoners facing the threat of mass killings.
A steadfast march toward a democratic republic
Despite the shadow of death sentences and torture, the widespread campaigns of the Resistance Units make one fact abundantly clear: state-sanctioned murder will not save the clerical regime. The brutality of the ruling religious dictatorship and the sacrifices of the fallen PMOI members have only served to increase the resolve of Iran’s youth. Their nationwide activities confirm their unwavering dedication to fighting this regime, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing religious fascism and establishing a free and democratic republic in Iran.