The revolution of Woman, Life, Freedom has been ongoing for five months. These five months of unshakeable and rooted resilience of the people has brought along historical achievements. These achievements lay in creating a new culture of resistance and active struggle that has influenced the people’s way of thinking and behaving. As a consequence, the Islamic Regime of Iran will not take this easily given that the revolution has shaken the core of the regime and its political legitimacy both nationally and internationally. Because of the joint effort and participation of all peoples and classes—especially the leadership role that was formed by the most marginalized of Iran’s society, the young and women, in the uprising—the existence of this tyrannical regime is increasingly threatened. The culture of resistance in Iran, despite its historical heritage, has obtained a different meaning with the phrase “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi,” one which mirrors the will and the cause of all the peoples of Iran. As was expected and seen from the previous uprisings, the hostility of the ruthless Islamic Regime against political prisoners, students, workers and different religious figures is reaching new heights through the use of excessive violence and military force so to frighten the people. This continuous militarization by the regime is a sign of the state’s deteriorated situation that is worsening by the day. While there are no arenas for the regime left to carry out its power, and every aspect of its politics is being questioned, the frenzied powers of the Islamic Regime is doing everything it can to keep the show going and cover up the weaknesses that these uprisings laid out for all of the world to see.
The authoritarian regime seeks solutions in more imprisonment, torture of prisoners, and public hangings. These are the actions carried out as ‘law enforcement’ against individuals who are being accused of and unduly punished for “opposing God”, “opposing the regime,” or allegedly rape, murder and many other punishable acts. All these penalties are being imposed without the right to the just application of the law or fair court cases, or even access to defense lawyers. Along with the concealed actions of the regime, another number of people are being abducted or displaced only to be found dead months or years after the uprisings. The essential environment where these practices are more commonly seen and are becoming regular are the prisons within Iran. As we can see in recent months, the regime is doing everything it can to force the persons imprisoned to submit and surrender to the horrific measures of torture that the regime is executing both physically and mentally. Among those inflicted, there are those who enter hunger strike in the prison, some of those released commit suicide, while others are faced with such torture that they are traumatized for the rest of their lives.
On the other hand, the regime is constantly spreading false propaganda that effects both the prisoners and the outside world of friends and family. Families are kept under supervision by the regime authorities and undergo daily threats that make life unendurable. What is important to be grasped here is that the role of the prisons is not only to damage the individual’s self-awareness, but more importantly, it is to make those imprisoned an example to all of society that if you too push the boundaries, this is what will happen to you and thereby weaken society’s identity and its creative power. In reality, imprisoning the democratic and free spirit of the young and especially women, freed from the shackles of domination, becomes the imprisoning of the whole of society and its ideals of freedom and democracy. But also in reverse, as much as these ideals are defended and resistance becomes a way of life, the prisons become a source for continuing the revolution and even empowering it.
In the example of revolutionary personalities, such as Zeyneb Celaliyan’s, that are currently in prison, we are taught that no matter how much oppression and suffering that is inflicted, resistance is the only way to a free life against state terrorism. The revolution of “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” has paved the way. But it is crucial that as the people of Iran proved their unity and solidarity in the revolution, this needs to be continued in form of organization, cooperation, and mutual participation in everything that makes society and democracy possible. Not only against the hardships of a tyrannical regime that denies the most basic rights of individuals and society, but as a hand in hand, daily fight for a better life and defense of human values despite colors, beliefs and gender is what will make success possible. The only way of achieving this is by overthrowing the patriarchal mentality that has imprisoned all of us in these authoritarian systems around the world. Prisoners are subject to all of the systems of hatred and made to resist with their whole body and soul and that is what makes prisons, particularly in the Kurdish struggle, the symbol of resistance. The prisons in Iran in these hard times have become symbols for the truth that “resistance is life and surrender is betrayal,” a truth echoed by all of society’s most beautiful children with the hopes of a better tomorrow. Therefore, in condolences to the prisoner’s families, the mothers and fathers of those who face hanging and other horrific punishments of the regime, we send our greetings and bow in the presence of all those martyred in the revolution of “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi.” No matter what, on behalf of their names, we will all reach the goal of a free life together.
The support of political prisoners committee PJAK
4-2-2023