Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb's Message from Prison: The Government Will Sink into the 'Quagmire It Created'

Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, a political prisoner held in Qazal Hessar prison, stated in a phone message on Tuesday that the judicial authorities have fabricated cases against him. He described the conditions in the prison and emphasized the need to boycott the elections while calling for a halt to the execution of protesters. He mentioned that he is currently serving a sentence related to one of these fabricated cases, charged with 'conspiracy against the regime,' and that two other similar cases have been filed against him, one of which is ongoing in Shahriar with no news about its fate. He also noted that another charge of 'propaganda against the regime' has been fabricated in prison, and he has been summoned to court on January 26. In response to these fabrications, he stated, 'These are signs of their fear and nothing else. No matter how much they try to intimidate us or keep us silent, they know we will not be silenced.' Concurrently with the execution of Davood Abdollahi, a Sunni prisoner in Qazal Hessar prison, and the imminent execution of two other imprisoned protesters, Raghb stressed that 'the cycle of violence, executions, repression, and imprisonment must stop for freedom-seekers and protesting people.' He warned that otherwise, the continuation of these executions would lead to 'revenge and animosity,' adding that 'we do not want society to be embroiled in that, as it is already suffering from poverty, misery, inflation, and corruption due to the incompetence of the rulers.' Raghb, a signatory of the '14th Statement' calling for a transition from the Islamic Republic and the resignation of Ali Khamenei, also emphasized the boycott of elections, labeling them as 'staged and scripted,' and called for 'free and transparent elections' in Iran. He insisted on 'respect for human rights, the abolition of executions, and the removal of oppressive rulers and incompetent managers,' stating, 'I want the people to have their worthy representatives in a free election. The ballot box should be national and transparent. The press should be free.' Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb concluded by asserting, 'This quagmire that the government has created will surely lead to its own downfall.'