A group of political prisoners in Evin Prison issued a statement in response to the death sentences for six political prisoners, stating: “The 2022 uprising, as one of the key milestones in the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, has so destabilized the foundations of the ruling regime that it sees no option but to intensify repression in various forms.
“The escalating trend of issuing and executing multiple death sentences against political prisoners over the past two years not only recalls the regime’s repressions of the 1980s but also signifies the fear and panic of the political elite over the advancing and justice-seeking Iranian society.
“Collective death sentences have been issued for six political prisoners—Abolhassan Montazer, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani Amerian, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi, and Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar—while recently, several young individuals in a case dubbed the ‘Ekbatan children’ also faced death sentences.
“Additionally, collective death sentences from the beginning of the year up to 2024 have also targeted other political prisoners, such as Pakhsan Azizi, Varisheh Moradi, Shahriyar Bayat, Behrouz Ehsani, Mehdi Hassani, and Mohammad-Javad Vafa’i Thani, who remain incarcerated and face execution.”
The statement from the group of political prisoners in Evin Prison added: “We, a group of political prisoners in Evin Prison, fundamentally oppose the death penalty and declare our support for all political and ideological prisoners facing this punishment.
“We believe that the struggle for freedom requires collective solidarity in defending human rights, including the formation of social resistance against the issuance of death sentences.
“We call on all Iranians, from all walks of life, to join political prisoners in opposing these inhumane and reactionary sentences by any means possible. Now is the time to take to the streets against executions. It is time to save the lives of political prisoners; it is the time for ‘No to Executions.'”
The signatories include: Shiva Esmaeili, Reza Akbari Monfared, Golrokh Iraee, Yadi Bahari, Maryam Banu Nasiri, Sakineh Parvaneh, Hossein Piri, Forough Taghipour, Mohammad Habibi, Mehran Raouf, Reza Rezaei, Davood Razavi, Khosro Rahnama, Khashayar Sefidi, Maziar Seyed-Nejad, Hossein Shanbezadeh, Hossein Shahsavari, Zahra Safaei, Moloud Safaei, Sepehr Ziaei, Fatemeh Ziaei Azad, Marzieh Farsi, Elaheh Fooladi, Foad Fathi, Nasrollah Fallahi, Azar Korvandi, Esmail Gerami, Narges Mohammadi, Amirhossein Moradi, Babak Moradi, Ali Moezi, Farzad Moazzami Goudarzi, Mohammad Massoud Moeini, Javad Manbari, Mohammad Najafi, Tahereh Nouri, Asadollah Hadi, Ali Younesi, Mir-Yousef Younesi, and seven other prisoners whose signatures remain confidential.
Background
The Iranian regime’s judiciary recently sentenced six political prisoners to death on charges tied to their alleged support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The verdict, delivered by Judge Iman Afshari of Tehran’s so-called Revolutionary Court Branch 26, underscores the regime’s increasingly harsh measures against its critics.
The condemned individuals—Abolhassan Montazer, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani-Amerian, Babak Alipour, Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar, and Mohammad Taghavi—face accusations of “membership in the PMOI/MEK,” “armed rebellion against the government,” and “collusion against national security.” Two others, Mojtaba and Ali Taghavi, were sentenced to imprisonment and exile, allegedly for their familial ties to one of the condemned. The sentences follow months of brutal interrogation and torture in Evin Prison, infamous for its treatment of political detainees.