Hunger Strike of Five Political Prisoners on the Anniversary of Mahsa Amini's Death

Five political prisoners announced in a letter that they will go on hunger strike on Saturday, September 16, in "protest against the continuation of the oppressive, anti-national, and anti-women policies" of the Iranian government and in "solidarity with the demands and will of women, men, and the youth" on the anniversary of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's death. This letter, signed by Mostafa Tajzadeh, Hossein Razaghi, Saeed Madani, Mehdi Mahmoudian, and Mohammad Najafi, was published on Hossein Razaghi's Instagram page on Thursday, September 14. The signatories described the "glorious uprising of women, life, freedom" as "a new chapter in the people's struggles for democracy, development, and the realization of the nation's right to self-determination" and referred to the "sacred Mahsa movement" as "a significant shock to the pillars of the entire crisis-ridden system and all defenders of the status quo." These five political prisoners highlighted the expenditure of "billions of tomans from national resources to promote and propagate the ruling ideology" and the "expansion of security and military institutions and the distribution of rents of power and wealth from the pockets of the people," emphasizing that "the will of the people, especially the youth, can overturn all calculations and open the path for the nation towards tomorrow." In another part of the letter, the signatories stated that the "Mahsa uprising" has showcased "the dimensions of the pervasive structural crises and the Iran-destructive policies of the ruling system" and wrote that "the youth and teenagers of Iran, despite all hardships and difficulties, are determined to build a free, equal, and developed Iran." They paid tribute to all the victims of last year's nationwide protests and expressed sympathy with the families of "hundreds of victims" and announced their hunger strike to realize all the legitimate demands of the protesters, including the "end of compulsory hijab." Recently, Bahareh Hedayat, a political prisoner, went on a hunger strike for two weeks in protest against issues including the "intensified repression" of protesters by the Islamic Republic and the death of Javad Rouhi, a detained protester. In a letter, she described her hunger strike as a renewal of her commitment to the "public conscience of Iranians for freedom" and the "Mahsa uprising." After ending her hunger strike, Bahareh Hedayat emphasized in a letter on September 13 that she will remain committed until the "traces of the Islamic Republic, this anti-freedom government, are erased from the soil of Iran." On Tuesday, Fatemeh Sepahri, an opposition political activist, called from Vakilabad prison in Mashhad for the resumption of popular protests against the Islamic Republic "to close the file on the crimes of this group." Additionally, Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the justice-seeking Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who was killed during interrogation and detention, urged people in a video not to forget the anniversary of Mahsa Amini and "the youths who died for Iran." Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, previously stated in response to a question from a VOA Persian reporter that the Islamic Republic has not learned from the recent protests. John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council of the White House, said, "After the killing of Mahsa Amini and the popular protests, the people of Iran should now be able to make decisions for themselves and women should choose their own dress."