Leading up to the commemoration of the Iran nationwide uprising initiated in September 2022, the current regime has orchestrated a relentless campaign of suppression aimed at instilling fear within the populace. This has entailed a surge in executions and the apprehension of dissidents.
Of particular focus for the regime is the systematic targeting of supporters and networks affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), an entity recently identified by regime officials as their primary concern.
This sweeping campaign encompasses intensified pressure on political detainees charged with advocating for the PMOI cause.
A recent manifestation of this pressure has seen the sentencing of Ali Moezzi, a political prisoner, to a term of 75 months (equivalent to 6 years and 3 months) in confinement.
Ali Moezzi, aged 70, was apprehended in October 2022 and subsequently held in Evin prison without a valid warrant. On August 6, he was forcibly brought before Judge Abolghassem Salavati, infamously known as “the judge of executions,” who presented him with a roster of alleged “criminal” accusations. These included charges such as “persistent endorsement of PMOI,” “presence of his offspring in Ashraf 3,” and “issuing condemnatory statements against the regime.”
Many of the allegations levied against this political detainee have been recurrent throughout past years and decades, instances for which he was previously imprisoned. Judge Salavati imposed a 75-month prison term upon him and cynically quipped, “Congratulations! Proceed to Ward 209,” alluding to the notorious segment of Evin prison reserved for the confinement and torment of political detainees.
Ali Moezzi, a supporter of PMOI, has faced arrest on three occasions dating back to the 1980s, owing to his advocacy for the Iranian opposition, enduring a cumulative imprisonment span of 12 years. Additionally, he grapples with prostate cancer and severe knee arthritis.
Coinciding with these developments, the regime has embarked on a protracted campaign aimed at inculcating apprehension among any individuals aligned with or approaching the PMOI. This involves an incessant deluge of fabricated news concerning the status of PMOI members abroad, coupled with recent summons issued by the regime’s judicial body to prosecute 104 MEK members. Notably, the regime, renowned for its history of executing myriad MEK affiliates and sympathizers, has urged Iranian Resistance members to avail legal representation in court.
The regime’s overarching objective is to impede the influx of young individuals into the ranks of the organized resistance movement that has persistently advocated for a regime overhaul over the course of four decades.
However, the regime’s endeavors to that effect have met with limited success, evident in the unwavering and expanding activities of the MEK Resistance Units—a network of activists staunchly supporting the PMOI.
In the preceding week, these Resistance Units orchestrated diverse activities across multiple cities, reaffirming their resolute commitment to ongoing protests and the pursuit of regime change.
Within Tehran, members of the Resistance Units erected posters adorned with quotations from Iranian Resistance leader Massoud Rajavi and the president-elect of NCRI, Maryam Rajavi.
One such poster, featuring Massoud Rajavi, bore the inscription, “The right of the Iranian people: Revolt and uprising against despots.”
Another, showcasing Maryam Rajavi, conveyed the message, “Our occupied nation can be emancipated.”
A group of Resistance Units members shared videos depicting themselves brandishing posters of Iranian resistance leaders, undeterred by the regime’s escalating investment in surveillance technology designed to control the populace.
A placard held aloft read, “Across the nation, thousands of youth have risen.”
In Gorgan, MEK Resistance Units members organized a procession, chanting slogans in defiance of the regime.
A placard carried by these units proclaimed, “The regime cites the hijab as an excuse. Our response is revolution,” referencing the regime’s endeavor to magnify the hijab as a focal point and primary source of contention between the people and their autocratic rulers.
In Shiraz, the Resistance Units showcased a poster of Maryam Rajavi conveying the message, “We shall reclaim Iran and reconstruct this magnificent land.”
In Isfahan, the Resistance Units displayed a poster of Massoud Rajavi with the inscription, “Resistance Units counteract; we shall not yield to dictators,” resolutely rejecting the regime’s tactics of intimidation.
In Karaj, a member of the Resistance Unit presented a placard declaring, “The unemployed and hungry will neither acquiesce nor surrender.”
Another Resistance Unit participant held a sign asserting, “Our course is revolution; our sole message is regime change.”
Analogous activities were reported in various other locales, including Mashhad, Bandar Torkaman, Urmia, Khorram Abad, Someh Sara, Najaf Abad, Hamedan, Yasuj, Arak, Ahvaz, Damavand, Rudbar, Semnan, Kerman, Langrud, Sirjan, and Yazd.
