Suppressive forces fired tear gas at the people who had gathered near Evin prison. In and around the prison, slogans of “Death to the dictator” could be heard.

PARIS, VALDOIS, FRANCE, October 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In Iran, the showdown between protesters and regime security forces continues. The uprising was sparked by the death of a young woman who had been arrested by the regime’s so-called morality police in mid-September.

But as the protests quickly metastasized, they began to reveal simmering dissent against decades of state corruption and oppression. In their slogans, people directly targeted the theocratic regime itself. Today, demonstrations have swept almost the entire country, creating one of the most serious challenges against the regime in the four decades of its tyrannical rule.

Over 190 cities have risen up so far, with at least 400 protesters killed and 20,000 more detained by the regime. Some workers in the critical oil and gas industry have gone on strike in solidarity with the protests. The expansion of the general strike to other sectors of the battered economy has amplified major threats to the fragile regime’s stability.

It must be particularly worrying for the rulers that the demonstrations cut across all ethnic and religious divides and that they are being supported by people from all walks of life. After four weeks of persistent and determined nationwide demonstrations against clerical tyranny, the country has now entered a new era of change.

Although the Iranian people have always harbored a deep resentment against the ruling mullahs, previous rounds of protests against the regime might have been sparked by more focused economic grievances. This time, however, people came out into the streets demanding their most fundamental rights and freedoms while pointedly calling for the “end” or overthrow of the entire regime.

Since usurping political power in 1979 following the people’s anti-monarchical revolution, the mullahs have repressed an array of basic freedoms while denying the Iranian people their most rudimentary human rights. At every turn since then, the regime has responded to people’s calls for change with unimaginable brutality and violence. In November 2019, after rising fuel prices inflamed the already-enraged population, triggering nationwide protests, the regime killed at least 1,500 people. Many more were tortured or disappeared, according to Amnesty International.

Prior to that, in 1988, the regime viciously massacred 30,000 political prisoners in the span of a few short months. The victims were sentenced to death during minutes-long kangaroo courts simply because they demanded freedom and democracy. None of them was originally sentenced to death. The regime wanted to avoid having these heroes and heroines influencing the broader society after they were released. So, it decided to annihilate all of them in a horrific act of genocide and crime against humanity.

In the current uprising, the brutality of the regime reached a new height. The repressive forces are directly targeting the crowds. Young girls and boys are arrested and beaten to death. Video clips of beating protestors in the streets have shocked the world.

After experiencing all these crimes and violence against an unarmed and defenseless population, what recourse is available to the people of Iran? The regime has refused to listen to the people and has shown in practice that it only understands the language of firmness and force.

The only answer for bringing the Iranian population out of the depths of misery, violence, and murder is to exercise their ‘right of self-defense and their ‘right to rebel against tyranny.’

History of human thought is replete with references to the natural right of oppressed peoples to revolt against tyrants in pursuit of fundamental rights and freedoms. Philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau formulated sound and convincing arguments that continue to justify the exercise of the right of self-defense and revolution.

These ideas and principles continue to penetrate the spirit of modern thought around the world. The American Declaration of Independence decried the tyranny’s “long train of abuses and usurpations” at the time, while Thomas Jefferson explained that it was not only the people’s right but their duty to overthrow that repressive government.

As protesters and dozens of kids as young as 11 are being murdered in cold blood by the brutal regime, the Iranian people have a right to defend themselves. As stated in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they “have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression.” As the late John F. Kennedy added, “Those who make a peaceful change (reform) impossible, make a violent change (revolution) inevitable.”

Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Though violence is not lawful when it is offered in self-defense or for the defense of the defenseless, it is an act of bravery far better than cowardly submission. The latter befits neither man nor woman. Under violence, there are many stages and varieties of bravery. Every man must judge this for himself. No other person can or has the right.”

The conclusion is clear, legitimate, and worthy of backing. The right to resistance against an illegitimate regime that persistently kills, and tortures is among the oppressed Iranian people’s inalienable rights. Before more lives are lost tragically, the international community must quickly and urgently side with the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom, and democracy and acknowledge the Iranian people’s right to self-defense and to resistance against the ruling tyranny. Practically, it should support the Iranian people by imposing maximum pressure on the brutal theocracy that oppresses them while providing the tools for the people to freely access the internet.


Explosion and Fire in Evin Prison, Regime’s Scenario to Massacre Prisoners

On Saturday night, October 15, at 21:50 local time, a massive explosion was heard from Evin prison in Tehran, where many of those arrested during the uprising are held. At 22:41, two more big explosions were heard from Evin prison. Simultaneously, the sound of gunfire could be heard from the prison area, and flames and smoke engulfed the prison.

For a long time, the sound of the volley of bullets and the continuous explosions of grenades could be heard. A number of prisoners were seen on the roofs of Evin prison.

Prison guards unleashed the dogs inside the prison to attack the prisoners. The Special Force known as NOPO (Supreme Leader’s Special Security Force) stormed Evin Prison. In a fake scenario, the regime’s Judiciary claimed that there was a scuffle between the prisoners and that the tailoring workshop had caught fire.

Suppressive forces fired tear gas at the people who had gathered near Evin prison. In and around the prison, slogans of “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei” could be heard.


Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), called on the people and youth to help the families who had gone to Evin prison to save the lives of the prisoners so that the regime cannot massacre them. In a similar scenario, on October 9, at least 10 prisoners were killed by shooting and fire in Lakan prison in Rasht and many more were injured. Mrs. Rajavi urged the United Nations, the UN Council on Human Rights, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the European Union to intervene immediately to prevent the massacre of Evin prisoners.



Some reports from members of the Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) resistance units inside Iran
(Note: the names are nicknames)

Afrasiab, a member of the resistance unit- Tehran - October 14, 2022
One of my relatives is a high-ranking member of the IRGC. He told my comrades and me that you could tell everyone that the regime is falling. Do not loosen anything. Do not fall short. Don't be afraid of their bluffs and bluster.

Hamid, a resistance unit member from Isfahan University, October 13, 2022
To create an atmosphere of fear and scare students, the Basijs staged an exhibition at the entrance of Isfahan University. We saw that the only way to confront the ridiculous display was to set it on fire. Together with the students, we set fire to the exhibition chanting, "Death to the dictator" and "Basijs get lost." These revolutionary moments are very passionate because it both scares the Basij and encourages the people, and you could see how the Basijis were confused because we set their stage on fire, and everyone was happy at this sight.
Another compatriot said that I feel excellent when I join the demonstrators these days. We are no longer boys and girls together, we are like brothers and sisters, and we are only thinking of making the protests more widespread.

Report of a resistance unit member from Mashhad on October 13, 2022
During the demonstrations, the people of Mashhad attacked the regime's justice system, which they hate, and broke the windows of the Mashhad justice building.

Abbas's report from a boys' high school in the Shar-e- Ray - October 13, 2022
Today we were in the schoolyard, and we didn't go to class, and we chanted, " Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)." There were some Basij agents there who constantly bullied the students. This time when they tried to stop us, it led to another physical confrontation, and we forced them to leave the stage. At the last hour, we went to the street and started chanting, and the female students joined us in chanting.

Soheila, a resistance unit member from Sharif University of Tehran - October 14, 2022
The night the suppressive forces came to Sharif University, I went to the front of the university to see what I could do to help. I realized that the repressive agents were watching me and trying to take my phone. I quickly escaped and knocked on a house door and asked them to hold my phone. They accepted, and I handed over the phone and returned to the scene of the conflict. We had a fierce conflict, and I wanted the students to leave the university safely. The officers shot me with a shotgun. They tried to arrest me, but they couldn't, and with the help of people, I could escape. One day later in the evening, I visited that house, and they handed over my phone with great respect. I am proud of these honorable people.

Hoshang, a resistance unit member - Tehran - October 14, 2022
In the evening, we went to Hafthauz and Sarsabz [Two areas in the east of Tehran]; it was very crowded, and a confrontation with the police forces started. But they were so terrified that they couldn't go very far. It is not like the previous uprisings; people have become very brave. A girl hurled a rock; it hit a policeman, and two or three people in black clothes went toward her. But we did not hesitate and quickly came from behind the crowd to the front line. Someone wanted to hit that girl, we grabbed his hand and pushed him. He went back; the others did not dare to attack. Because there were a lot of people, one of the kids hurled a big rock, and it hit the neck of a thick-skinned person, which made people very happy. In practice, I saw that suppressive forces do not dare to come forward when people attack; even five people attack together.

Maryam, a resistance unit member from Tehran - October 14, 2022
Last night on square one of Tehran Pars, 145 St., about 25 of us chanted, " Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)." After a while, we wrote the same slogan on the wall.
I want to mention an interesting point, wherever I went, I saw that they collected the posters of Khamenei, Soleimani, Raisi, and Khomeini. I walked in different streets and saw that they had gathered posters everywhere. For example, there were no posters in Molvi, Abdul Azim, Enghelab, Vali Asr, etc. streets, showing that the regime knows how much people hate the leaders of this regime because every poster and banner of the regime's leaders are a target for every youth.

Masoud, a resistance unit member from Tehran - October 14, 2022
I went to Tehran Pars last night. I saw that many young people, about 100 people, had set fire to large trash cans and were chanting "Death to Khamenei" with all their might, and everyone was accompanying them. The traffic was heavy; everyone was honking. From Sarkhehsar Barracks to Jajrud. People honked their horns continuously and disturbed the officers.

Shahin Gobadi
NCRI
06 61 653 231 ext.
email us here

Iran protests round-up—Day 30 | Part 1 | October 15, 2022

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