New Statement from Former Female Political Prisoners of Evin Prison; Emphasis on Continuing the Fight Against Repression

A group of former political prisoners from the women's ward of Evin Prison has issued a new statement emphasizing the continuation of resistance against government repression and warning about the intensification of pressures on activist women and political prisoners. In this statement, which includes the names of several activist women such as Atena Daemi, Nazanin Zaghari, Aliyeh Matlabi, and Yasaman Aryani among its signatories, the necessity of maintaining unity and vigilance against repressive and divisive policies is underscored. The statement considers the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement as a model for struggle and equality-seeking, asserting that this movement has been able to "challenge the boundaries of governmental repression" and stand against violence with the force of life. The signatories believe that the government's fear of the expansion of this movement can be observed in the intensification of anti-women laws, increased pressure on female political prisoners, and efforts for greater control over women's clothing and bodies. Following the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini in the custody of the morality police in late September 2022, the "Women, Life, Freedom" protest movement emerged across the country but faced severe repression over several months, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of protesting citizens, injuries to thousands, and the arrest of tens of thousands. Mai Sato, a UN special rapporteur, also expressed concern this November, on the second anniversary of the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, stating that "the situation regarding women has actually worsened." In another section of the statement, recent attacks on the women's ward of Evin Prison are mentioned as examples of the organized repression methods of the Islamic Republic. According to the signatories, despite years of enduring imprisonment and security pressures, political female prisoners continue to be the "echo of the voice of the Iranian people," which has led the government to attempt to silence them through "imposing additional restrictions, fabricating cases, heavy sentences, exile, and even direct assaults." The signatories accuse the Islamic Republic of not only physical repression but also waging a "psychological and propaganda war" against activist women. In this context, some former or current prisoners have been used to execute "schemes to distort reality and undermine activist women." They have warned that attempts to invade the personal privacy of political activists and use it as a tool of repression continue the same repressive policies of the Islamic Republic. The statement emphasizes that protesting women will stand not only against governmental repression but also against movements that, by cooperating with these policies, foster division. The signatories have warned against individuals falling into the trap of this psychological war. In the final section of the statement, the signatories assert that women's resistance, whether in prison or in public spaces, will continue, and they will stand against the regime's security policies and power-seeking factions.