{"id":31612,"date":"2022-01-20T13:24:49","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T12:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=31612"},"modified":"2022-01-21T14:58:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T13:58:26","slug":"january-20-1979-when-iranians-forced-the-shah-to-release-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2022\/01\/january-20-1979-when-iranians-forced-the-shah-to-release-political-prisoners\/31612\/","title":{"rendered":"January 20, 1979, When Iranians Forced the Shah to Release Political Prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Massoud
Massoud Rajavi the Leader of the Iranian Resistance<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Forty-three years ago, on this day, January 20, 1979, the people of Iran forced the Shah\u2019s dictatorship to release the last group of political prisoners. Most of these prisoners had been sentenced to life imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their families, activists, and citizens were concerned about Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the latest king of Iran, purging jails from political prisoners as revenge and response to people\u2019s anti-regime protests. In this context, thousands of people were rallied outside known prisons such as Qasr and Evin in Tehran to prevent the dictator\u2019s retaliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ease public anger, authorities eventually accepted demonstrators\u2019 demand to talk face-to-face with the prisoners\u2019 representative. Indeed, people no longer believed monarchic officials\u2019 statements and promises, seeking to ensure prisoners\u2019 health and safety via one of their jailed loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this respect, authorities suddenly referred to Massoud Rajavi<\/a>, the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK<\/a>) leader, and transferred him outside the ward. This incident severely raised the concerns of other MEK <\/a>members, including Mousa Khiabani, Rajavi\u2019s deputy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Massoud
Massoud Rajavi and Mousa Khiabani<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Massoud Rajavi Spoke with the People for the First Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were concerned about the last approach of Shah and [the harrowing Intelligence and Security Organization] SAVAK against Massoud, particularly because he was the only survivor of the organization\u2019s first-generation,\u201d one of the former political prisoners Ali Khodaeisefat later narrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the prison, demonstrators had taken aback by seeing MEK <\/a>leader Massoud Rajavi <\/a>on the Qasr prison\u2019s balcony. \u201cAt the last hour ahead of starting the martial law, we suddenly found Massoud Rajavi on the prison\u2019s patio. One of the government-linked individuals stepped forward, saying, \u2018Your Majesty has granted pardon to<\/em>\u2026;\u2019 however, Rajavi seized the microphone and said, \u2018No one granted us pardon, these people have freed us<\/em>,\u2019\u201d narrated one of those who gathered outside the prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rajavi then humbly admired people\u2019s ongoing anti-Shah protests and those who spent days outside the prisons to free political prisoners. He mentioned that all political prisoners were innocent and were sentenced to outlaw punishments for their freedom-seeking activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI find no phrase for appreciating you,\u201d Rajavi addressed the audience. \u201cIndeed, we all owe you this freedom to you, not anyone else or any special group.\u201d Later in an interview with Asia weekly, Rajavi recalled that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA significant crowd has gathered outside the Qasr Prison. They were chanting and calling my name while I could not understand what was going on because I was a political prisoner just like others,\u201d Asia quoted Rajavi as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe prison warden was terrified, asking me to go to the prison\u2019s roof and speak with the people. \u2018All political prisoners will be freed,\u2019 the warden urged me to announce. I surprisingly went to the roof. Suddenly I found myself in an ocean of flowers from the people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI asked the reason for that applause while the slogans became more glorious. \u2018Long live MEK,\u2019 people were chanting, and I responded to them, \u2018Long live the people,\u2019\u201d Rajavi explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An hour later, around 9:00 pm and in coincidence with the beginning of the martial law, authorities released the remaining 162 political prisoners, consisting of leaders of the MEK <\/a>such as Rajavi, Khiabani, and Ashraf Rabiei, leaders of the Organization of Iranian People\u2019s Fedai Guerrillas, and other prominent individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Massoud
Massoud Rajavi on the right on January 20, 1979 and Ashraf Rabiei on the left<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the Release<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After releasing the last group of political prisoners, the people took them to the judiciary, where prisoners\u2019 families had held a strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People\u2019s Will Released Political Prisoners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFollowing U.S. President Jimmy Carter\u2019s human rights policy, Shah and Savak had been forced to stop executions and torture,\u201d another former political prisoner said. \u201cSince September 1978, the monarchic dictatorship began to release thousands of political prisoners. However, it still disobeyed to free several activists although they had passed their terms and some of them had been held two additional years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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