Month: June 2025

A Letter From Evin Prison

Three women political prisoners have written to the people of Iran:

Greetings to our defiant people

We, the women political prisoners of Evin, condemn the destructive war waged by capitalist governments against all people. They are after only their own interests in securing their power through warmongering. This war brings nothing for people except destruction. People who have not caused these wars would be the main victims. We know that the people of Iran and the rest
of the world do not want war. That is because wars are imposed by governments to destroy, kill and repress human life.

We political prisoners are hostages of the regime in Iran. We are behind bars without the right to defend ourselves. Despite the unique circumstances imposed on us, it is for you that we worry, the dear freedom seeking people of Iran, from the bottom of our hearts.

We demand an end to the war that has been imposed on our people as soon as possible. We are asking you, the people, to demand an end to the war with your collective power.

Anisha Asadollahi, Nahid Khodajo, Nasrin KhezrJavadi – worker activists

Translated by Nasrin Parvaz
Nahid Khodajo was my prison cellmate during the 1980’s, when I was in prison for eight years. Nahid was in prison for seven years during the 80’s. She was arrested again in February 2024.

Iranian Political Prisoners Are in Danger

News has emerged from Iran that the regime has removed all non-political inmates from Evin prison. Historically this separation of prisoners has always meant that something dreadful is likely to happen.

A number of political prisoners have also been removed from their wings in several prisons across the rest of Iran. This usually happens to prisoners before execution.

During this time of war and aggression from Israel, the regime is busy arresting activists. The rapper Toomaj Salehi was arrested again today – Thursday 19th June. Toomaj has been a vocal supporter of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests and is known for using his lyrics to criticize the regime. He has been arrested and tortured several times. In 2022 he was arrested and kept in prison for more than one year, of which he spent 252 days in solitary confinement.

As an ex-prisoner myself, I worry that the regime is planning to harm or kill these political prisoners while Iranian citizens are distracted by war and trying to reach safety. The regime has also made the internet inaccessible, meaning that it is difficult to spread news both inside and outside of the country.

During the Iran/Iraq war in the 1980s, thousands of prisoners were falsely charged as spies and executed.

More than five thousand prisoners were executed when the Mujaheddin attacked Iran with the help of Iraq in 1988. Fifty prisoners were taken from the wing I was in and they never came back.

The regime announced a few days ago that everyone with connections to Israel will be punished. I am worried that the regime will kill more prisoners again.

War has many consequences. If the regime harms these prisoners, their blood will be on the hands of both the Iranian and Israeli regimes. Without Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran, the regime would not be able to get away with such a crime.

Nasrin Parvaz
19/06/2025