After the war, fear
- Mobilisation of security forces after the ceasefire: the hunt for enemies
- A memory rekindled: back to the spectre of 1981
- Prisoner transfers and the symbolism of Evin prison
- Mass executions: a tool of institutionalised terror
- Wave of arrests across the country: fear of an uprising
- The real battle: between the people and the religious dictatorship
For him, victory or defeat boils down to social resilience, i.e. the regime's ability to prevent a new popular uprising on a national scale.
Mobilisation of security forces after the ceasefire: the hunt for enemies
After twelve days of war and unfounded claims by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that Iran had inflicted heavy losses on Israel and the United States, checkpoints were quickly set up in Tehran and many other cities, under the pretext of arresting ‘enemy agents (Israelis)’.
A memory rekindled: back to the spectre of 1981
Javad Mogouei, a documentary filmmaker close to the regime's intelligence services, stated: 'We are in a situation similar to that of 1981, which in my opinion was the worst in the history of the revolution. On 20 June 1981, the Mujahideen announced armed struggle, took to the streets and even the director of Evin prison was no longer safe. One hundred thousand armed members of the organisation took to the streets.' He describes the current situation of the regime as unstable and clearly identifies, in an interview, the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran as the regime's main enemy and the backbone of the Resistance.
Prisoner transfers and the symbolism of Evin prison
In a panic, the regime has transferred some political prisoners from damaged sections of prisons — particularly those housing political prisoners — to other centres, for fear that they might escape or be released. Evin prison in Iran has become a symbol of repression against the resistance and the movement for freedom, comparable to the Bastille in French history.
Mass executions: a tool of institutionalised terror
The pace of executions has accelerated. According to reports from inside the country, 140 executions were recorded in June alone. Among those executed were five women.
Between 15 and 24 June, six prisoners were executed for espionage. On Wednesday 24 June, three detainees were hanged in Oroumieh prison for ‘espionage in favour of Israel’. These three individuals, cross-border transporters (kolbars), had been arrested in July 2023 and sentenced to death for allegedly transporting material related to the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, known as the father of the regime's military nuclear programme.
As part of this series of opaque executions, Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh was executed in Ghezel Hesar prison on 22 June, Majid Masibi in Dastgerd prison in Isfahan on 21 June, and Esmaeil Fekri, again in Ghezel Hesar, on 15 June. These executions were carried out without transparency and were intended to sow fear.
Wave of arrests across the country: fear of an uprising
At the same time, the wave of mass arrests continues in several cities. The Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, announced the arrest of 700 people as part of an alleged ‘espionage network,’ adding that precise figures for Tehran province were not yet available. The Kermanshah provincial prosecutor's office has indicated that 115 people have been arrested, only a minority of whom are accused of espionage, while the rest are accused of propaganda against the regime. Similarly, the deputy commander of the security forces in Fars province announced the arrest of 53 people for ‘disturbing public order’, while the cyber police in Isfahan province said they had identified 60 people accused of the same offence.
The real battle: between the people and the religious dictatorship
All these elements confirm that the real confrontation is not being fought on the borders, but in the very heart of Iran, by the Iranian people and their organised resistance, who are fighting to end the religious dictatorship and establish freedom and democracy in Iran. The definitive and profound solution lies neither in repression nor in complacency, but in the overthrow of the regime by the people and their organised resistance.
Previously published in La Dépêche du Midi