Recently Released Iranian Prisoners Predict “Day Of Freedom Is Near”

Five women political prisoners who have recently been released from Iranian prisons have said that their liberation was a result of the ongoing uprising of the “freedom-loving and brave" Iranians against government “oppression.”

In a statement titled “Day of Freedom is Near” and received by IranWire on February 16, Alieh Matlabzadeh, Raha Asgarizadeh, Noushin Jafari, Maliheh Jafari and Hasti Amiri called for the release of all political prisoners, including environmentalists Sepideh Kashani and Niloufar Bayani, who have been imprisoned for five years for their activism.

Iran has been rocked by a wave of protests since mid-September, sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been accused of breaching the Islamic Republic's dress code for women.

The authorities have cracked down hard on the women-led protest movement, seen as one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

Security forces have killed more than 520 people and detained over 19,000 in connection with the widespread demonstrations, activists say. Following unlawful detentions and biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.

The five recently released political prisoners expressed hope that, “with the continued support of the public and the persistent efforts of the international community, we will soon witness the release of all male and female political prisoners."