Four imprisoned Iranian women activists have issued a powerful letter from inside Tehran’s Evin Prison, condemning Israeli military strikes on Iran and warning against relying on foreign powers for political change.
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, Verisheh Moradi, Sakineh Parvaneh, and Reyhaneh Ansarinejad released the statement through the pro-Kurdish Firat News Agency. Their message comes at a time of intense regional tension, following Israeli attacks that have resulted in heavy casualties. These women, currently serving sentences for political and labor activism, warned that liberation must come from the people—not from external forces.
Rejecting the Illusion of Foreign Salvation
The central theme of the letter is a clear rejection of foreign intervention as a solution to Iran’s domestic crisis. The women argue that those who seek salvation from outside the country ignore the painful lessons of Middle Eastern history, where foreign meddling has consistently led to destruction, exploitation, and division.
“Our liberation… from the dictatorship ruling the country is possible through the struggle of the masses and by resorting to social forces – not by clinging to foreign powers or placing hopes in them,” the letter declares.
They caution that relying on such forces only deepens national vulnerability and undermines the grassroots efforts that have long been pushing for justice and reform within Iran.
Condemning Israel’s Strikes and Regional Destruction
In the same letter, the women accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and attempting to destabilize Iran and the broader Middle East through calculated aggression. They describe the goal of such violence as creating a “weak and submissive” region that can be manipulated by foreign interests.
Their words challenge both the legitimacy and morality of military action that targets civilian populations under the guise of political liberation or anti-terrorism.
A Warning to Opposition Figures Supporting Airstrikes
The letter includes a scathing criticism of Iranian opposition figures in exile—such as Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah—who have voiced support for Israel’s military actions. Without naming individuals directly, the activists refer to them as “traitors” who have betrayed both the Iranian people and the principles of freedom and justice.
“Traitors to Iran and traitors to the peoples of the Middle East… will know that their betrayal and disdain will be recorded in the memory of the Iranian people and in history,” they write.
“Future generations will remember with shame those who stand on the corpses of defenceless people and trample them.”
This section of the letter serves as both a political and moral rebuke—challenging any narrative that seeks to equate foreign bombings with liberation.
Who Are the Women Behind the Letter?
These four women are not new to Iran’s resistance movement. Each has paid a heavy personal price for their commitment to justice, freedom, and human rights:
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee is a writer and human rights defender who was imprisoned for writing about the stoning of women. Her case has drawn international attention as an example of Iran’s harsh punishment of dissent. Verisheh Moradi is a Kurdish activist affiliated with the Community of Free Women of Eastern Kurdistan (KJAR). A former fighter against ISIS in Syria, she now faces the death penalty in Iran for her role in the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. Sakineh Parvaneh and Reyhaneh Ansarinejad are serving sentences ranging from four to six years for their activism in labor movements and support of Kurdish rights.
These women represent the intersection of multiple struggles in Iran: for gender equality, for labor rights, for ethnic autonomy, and for democratic change.
A Divided Iranian Opposition
The release of this letter highlights growing rifts in Iran’s opposition. While some exiled figures welcome foreign strikes as a strategic opportunity, others—such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi and filmmaker Jafar Panahi—have condemned the attacks while simultaneously calling for domestic reforms and the resignation of Iran’s ruling authorities.
The women in Evin Prison fall into the latter camp: fiercely critical of the current regime, but equally opposed to external forces seeking regime change through violence. Their position reaffirms the idea that true change must come from within—led by Iran’s own people, not foreign governments or military coalitions.
Why Their Words Matter Now
This letter is more than a political statement. It is a moral appeal from women who have endured prison, repression, and exile from public life. Their decision to speak out now, amid heightened violence and rising global tensions, is an act of extraordinary courage.
Their message is clear: the Iranian people are capable of creating their own path to freedom and justice. They do not need liberation delivered by drones or dictated by foreign powers.
In a moment when many voices in the Middle East are being drowned out by weapons and warfare, these four women remind us that the most powerful force for change remains the people themselves—fighting not with bombs, but with words, solidarity, and unyielding hope.
