Iran: Messages Of Hope And Determination From Political Prisoners – OpEd

A group of political prisoners incarcerated in the notorious Gohardasht Prison of Karaj, located west of the Iranian capital Tehran, have written a message marking International Workers’ Day. Despite the threats they face with each passing day, these brave political prisoners are calling on the Iranian people to join their ranks and stand shoulder to shoulder with the country’s hardworking laborers in the nation’s unified struggle against the mullahs’ dictatorship ruling Iran. The letter comes against the backdrop of more than seven months of ongoing protests, and a week-long strike by workers of different sectors in various cities across the country.

Gohardasht Prison – Karaj, west of Tehran, Iran

On the eve of International Workers’ Day, we wish to congratulate the hardworking laborers of our country who have been subjected to the most oppressive discrimination under the mullahs’ regime.

Workers of a country sitting on an ocean of wealth, workers who produce the country’s capital but see the money that belongs to them be wasted on warmongering outside Iran’s borders, or used to equip the regime’s crackdown machine to silence the voice of Iranian workers and people who rise up for their basic demands.

Iran’s honorable workers who rebelled and did not give in to the regime’s crimes and conspiracies deserve our endless praise.

During these years, the inhumane regime of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has sent many workers, who protested for their rights, to prisons and incarcerated them for years under false accusations. The regime’s agents, operatives, lobbyists, and apologists inside and outside the country, by promoting so-called “anti-violent” campaigns and downgrading the people’s demands to focus merely on women’s hijab and the mullahs’ regime holding a referendum, are resorting to various initiatives aimed at maintaining this regime in power and claiming its “legitimacy”.

However, in recent months the heroic people of Iran, from Kurdistan to Baluchestan, and other cities checkered across Iran, have thwarted all these malignant campaigns with their vigilance and slogans that target the very essence of the mullahs’ regime.

In these circumstances when the people of Iran from all walks of life are oppressed, we ask all Iranians to join the protesting workers in supporting the country’s continuing uprising.

Wherever we are (whether in prison or on the streets), we must unite and become each other’s allies to overthrow the religious fascism ruling Iran. This the only solution and only way to save the Iranian people.

We, a group of political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, congratulate all hardworking Iranians on International Workers’ Day and vow to hold our ground and stand firm on our positions until the day of Iran’s freedom from the yoke of its oppressors.

April 2023

Matin Karim writes for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)