Exclusive | Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, Political Prisoner: The Manifestation of Law in Iran Since February 1979 is 'Execution, Violence, and Repression'

Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, a political prisoner in Qazalhessar, emphasized that the blatant violation of human rights in the prisons of the Islamic Republic continues through various means, including phone tapping and call disconnection. He stated that since February 1979, the manifestation of law in the Islamic Republic has been execution, violence, and repression. Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb's protest against 'phone tapping and call disconnection' of political prisoners comes as audio files of this political prisoner, provided to Voice of America on Sunday, September 9, show that at least twice his call from the prison's public phone was suddenly cut off. According to Mr. Ahmadi Raghb, 'phone tapping and call disconnection are signs and instances of censorship and blatant human rights violations,' and 'human dignity and human rights' are repeatedly violated in Iran by the Islamic Republic. He stated that he is a 'seeker of justice' for his work, saying that in September 2018, while he had worked for 17 years as an official employee of the Ferdowsiyeh municipality in Shahriar and was a firefighter, individuals in 'security, the municipality, and the city council,' in collaboration with 'security forces,' issued a 'termination letter' for him because he was a 'dissenter' and had protested, and 'the same individuals were later arrested for financial misconduct and embezzlement.' Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, using the term 'economic terrorism,' said he has kept his firefighter jacket as a 'symbol of a worker's resistance' and added, 'They took my livelihood and that of my family, and six years have passed. I sought justice in various forms, but their response was imprisonment; and I am still seeking justice from prison.' Previously, Pouran Nazemi, a human rights defender in Iran, told Voice of America that one of the actions of the Islamic Republic is to cut off the 'economic lifelines' of civil and political activists to exert more pressure on them. Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, who is one of the signatories of the '14th Statement' calling for Khamenei's resignation and a transition from the Islamic Republic, said that after signing that statement, in September 2019, government forces stormed his house and pointed a gun at him for arrest. Mr. Ahmadi Raghb noted that in 'September 2022, the people of Iran launched the Mahsa movement,' stating that 'women were its pioneers and still are, both inside and outside prison.' This imprisoned human rights activist stated that in September 2023, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic exiled him along with 'a few political prisoners in Evin, shackled to Qazalhessar,' saying, 'We are still here. We did not remain silent. The voices, cries, and statements we made have all been used against us in prison. They send us to solitary confinement, fabricate cases, threaten us, and cut off our phones. What are we even saying?' He emphasized that 'I have never accepted the Islamic Republic,' adding, 'Because I have seen the manifestation of law and justice since February 1979 as: execution, violence, repression, and increasing class distances. Rulers should only serve and be selfless servants of the people, not imprison freedom seekers for expressing and protesting.' Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, a political prisoner and former firefighter, who was dismissed from his job due to civil and human rights activities, has been arrested multiple times and has gone on hunger strikes in prison protesting human rights violations in Iran. Mr. Ahmadi Raghb was last arrested on March 7, 2023, while he intended to participate in a teachers' protest against the serial poisoning of students, and was 'beaten' during his arrest. The judiciary of the Islamic Republic sentenced this human rights activist to 'three years and nine months in prison' without issuing a verdict. Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb has repeatedly faced new case fabrications during his detention.