INTV Exclusive: Inside Iran\’s Prisons: The Untold Stories of Courage and Resistance
Within Iran\’s prisons, hidden heroes endure unimaginable hardships, symbolizing the unwavering resistance of the Iranian people. These courageous prisoners, supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), face brutal conditions and a media blackout, with their names rarely mentioned in Western media.
Among these unknown heroes is Gholam Hossein Kalbi, who has spent over 30 years behind bars in Shiban Prison, Avaaz, without a single day of medical furlough. Then there\’s Mariam Akbari Monfared, a 49-year-old mother of three who has been incarcerated for the past 15 years. Her sister and three brothers, all members of the MEK, were executed by the regime. After filing a complaint with the UN in 2017 regarding the fate of her siblings executed during the 1988 Massacre, Mariam was exiled to a distant prison, far from her family. Forogh Taghipur, just 29 years old, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2023 for supporting the MEK.
Despite having already endured three years in prison, her spirit remains unbroken. Recently, political prisoners from over 60 Iranian prisons sent a powerful message to the Free Iran World Summit 2024. They revealed the daily reality of torture, ill-treatment, and humiliation aimed at breaking their will, intensified due to their support for the MEK. Despite these harsh conditions, they remain steadfast in their commitment to freedom, declaring that there is no other way but to fight and resist. They ask for not their release but for support for the resistance units battling against the regime, so Iran may one day be free.