As negotiations between Iran and the United States proceed within a highly fragile atmosphere, and as the political future of Iran and the region remains uncertain, 74 civil society and human rights organizations are calling on negotiating parties to prioritize the “unconditional release of all political and ideological prisoners” in Iran.
On Tuesday, April 28, representatives from these organizations held a virtual meeting regarding the “Campaign for the Freedom of Political and Ideological Prisoners.” They explained their reasons for signing the letter and its significance at this specific juncture, emphasizing that peace without human rights justice lacks moral legitimacy and will be unsustainable.
Release the Political Prisoners
Participants in the campaign presented a letter signed by 74 civil society organizations to the media. Addressed to the negotiating delegations of Iran, the United States, and Pakistan, the letter demands that the release of political and ideological prisoners be formally included in any peace agreement. The letter was originally published on April 18 with 58 signatures and remains open for further endorsements.
The conference took place against a grim backdrop: since February 27, 2026, following the outbreak of conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States, Islamic Republic security forces have launched a massive wave of arbitrary arrests. Reports indicate that over 4,000 people have been detained, with fears that the actual figure is significantly higher.
Key details regarding the recent crackdown include:
Many detainees were taken without judicial warrants via night raids on their homes.Detainees range from political activists and religious minorities (such as Baha’is) to ordinary citizens.Prisoners have been transferred to undisclosed locations, informal detention centers, or military bases, with no access to family or legal counsel - acts that constitute enforced disappearance.Political prisoners already held in Evin Prison and Ghezel Hesar Prison have reportedly been transferred en masse to unknown locations, sparking fears of torture and secret executions.
Demands for Justice
In their letter, the signatories emphasized that Iranian civil society has suffered for years from both political repression and the consequences of sanctions, war, and instability. They are calling for the release of prisoners regardless of their political, ideological, or religious beliefs, noting that many were convicted in trials that lacked due process.
“Most of their actions were merely expressions of political opinions, not threats to national security,” the letter states.
The letter places special urgency on the immediate release of four vulnerable groups:
Prisoners with serious illnesses or disabilities.Pregnant women.Women with children under the age of five.Prisoners over the age of 70.Prominent signatories include organizations such as the One Word Lawyers Network, Amnesty International’s Iran Network, United for Iran, the Mahsa Foundation, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML), and the International Coalition Against Violence in Iran.
“Detentions are Now Numbers, Not Names”
The first speaker of the session was a man who spent eight years of his life behind the bars of the Islamic Republic. Siamak Namazi spoke about the many victims of the Islamic Republic in prisons, emphasizing that while every war ends with diplomacy, any agreement that fails to mention prisoners is a “diplomatic failure.” He argued that this issue must be a priority in bilateral talks. While Namazi expressed little expectation that the current U.S. administration or the Islamic Republic would prioritize this, he stressed that media pressure and publicizing this demand could turn it into formal policy.
Jafar Ghadim-Khani, spokesperson for the Campaign for Freedom, traced the roots of this recent movement back to the Israeli attack on Evin Prison during the 12-day war, which sparked widespread alarm. He noted that a letter was sent to Mai Sato during those days. Citing the Islamic Republic’s own internal laws regarding the “protection of prisoners’ lives,” he called for immediate action to release detainees in war conditions.
“Detentions are now numbers, not names,” Ghadim-Khani said, signaling a situation he believes is more dangerous than ever before. He argued that including this demand in negotiations is more than a humanitarian plea; it guarantees the legitimacy of any eventual agreement.
Mona Tajali, representing “Women Living Under Muslim Laws,” pointed to Nobel Peace Prize laureates Shirin Ebadi and Narges Mohammadi, noting that while they possess the potential to lead society, one remains in prison and the other in exile. Emphasizing the necessity of transitional justice, she argued that the release of prisoners would make peace more sustainable.
Fatemeh Shams, a human rights activist and the session’s moderator, highlighted that the number of women sentenced to death in the Islamic Republic has reached an unprecedented high over the last three decades. Hermine Hourdad from the “Rooyesh” organization added: “We are asking those committed to human rights to remind the Islamic Republic of this issue. Our demand is not directed at the Islamic Republic, which flouts these laws, but at the negotiating parties. Any agreement requires a commitment to human rights; the demand for prisoner release tests the governments’ adherence to these values.”
The final speaker was Parviz Mokhtari, a member of the Union of Republicans of Germany. He asserted that neither the American side - specifically the Trump administration - nor the Iranian side is committed to human rights. He argued that the minimum impact of this letter is “raising the issue,” specifically drawing attention to the “Nelson Mandela Rules” for the treatment of prisoners, emphasizing that the letter carries significant political weight.
No Agreement is Legitimate Without Prisoner Freedom
Simultaneous with this meeting, Hannah Neumann, a member of the German Parliament and Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Iran, called for the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, Narges Mohammadi, and other political prisoners during a session in Strasbourg.
Referring directly to the ongoing negotiations in Islamabad, she stated: “No deal, no agreement will be approved by us unless this regime restores internet access, ends executions, and releases all political prisoners, including Nasrin and Narges.” Neumann also called on Roberta Metsola to “officially demand the immediate freedom” of these prisoners.
A Shadow of Executions
Furthermore, The Guardian has reported a surge in political executions in Iran under the shadow of war. In the past month, 16 people—eight political prisoners and eight protesters—have been executed.
Recent cases include: Amirhossein Hatami (18): Executed on April 2, following forced confessions to charges of “Moharebeh” (enmity against God) and “Corruption on Earth.”
Babak Alipour (34) and Pouya Ghobadi (32): Hanged together on March 31. Alipour’s body was withheld from his family, and his brother was arrested while attempting to say his final goodbyes.
Amir Ali Mir-Jafari (24): A student and computer technician executed just this week.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), described these figures as “unprecedented.” He stated: “The goal of these executions is to instill fear in society. The political cost of executing a protester is much higher under normal circumstances, but now, everything is being hidden in the shadow of war.”
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