Toomaj’s YouTube video brings to life the crucial importance of the struggle to free all political prisoners. In the following excerpt, translated by IEC volunteers, he says:
First and foremost, I want to thank you because of your spirit of being supportive, not just of me but of whomever needed support. You did not deny them in this process and showed your unity, solidarity, such that I had never experienced in the past, because you did not get tired… You did not forget those who are still in prison…
Even when I was in captivity at the security section, where it is almost impossible to talk to your relatives, because visits are very short and the guards are right next to you, where you cannot talk about whatever you want to talk about, even there a little news of the support you are giving to me and others was very, very welcoming and heartening news, and was giving us a new energy. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to endure these psychological injuries…
First you saved my life, and in the previous arrest you saved me, this is the third time that you rescued me. On social media they call me a hero, but the hero is all of you who saved me and us, I have never rescued anyone.
Now that they could not hold me in prison, as in previous times they try to destroy my reputation through some accusations…that I have confessed and betrayed others. First and foremost, what is there to confess, whatever I have done is in…broadcasting my songs and words, there has been nothing there to hide. I did not come out with a rap [song] to accommodate them; none of the people who have helped me with the production of my raps have been arrested or had to endure hardship, whether the producer, musicians, distributors and promoters.
And about confession? I didn’t even give them access to my post/page… The last day [before his release] they took me to Mr. Barati for 4 or 5 hours… he was the one in charge, who ordered to apply torture to me. He wanted me to give them my page [i.e., access to Toomaj’s social media platforms]. I told them I would rather stay in jail than give you control of my page.
In this video, he firmly debunked dangerous rumors spread by the regime’s media that his sentence was reduced or he was released due to his co-operating with his captors, “confessing” or “naming names.” The regime commonly broadcasts taped “confessions” or “apologies” from prisoners on national TV to demoralize people. In Toomaj’s case, even a 9-hour taped torture interrogation did not get him to apologize to the state, so they resorted to splicing pieces for a false, doctored “apology.”
Read the rest of excerpt here.
A Word to the Defenders of Islamic Fundamentalists as (Fake) Anti-imperialists
Toomaj and all of Iran’s political prisoners are making a real contribution to the struggle for a better world and must be supported and freed. They are shining a light on the reality that Iran is NOT a model of the kind of society we want to live in but a thoroughly oppressive regime. Many who claim to, or even do, oppose U.S. imperialism have refused to join the IEC, even accusing us of “helping the U.S.” for our exposing the Islamic Republic and its vicious repression of political dissidents like Toomaj. Some of these are the same “leftists” who were starkly missing at the many Woman, Life, Freedom protests in the U.S., and are now cheerleading for Hamas.
A social media post during the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising illuminates this important ideological battle now raging around us over U.S.-supported genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza (transcript of video post by IEC):
My name is Rasha Hilwi, I am Palestinian. From a young age I have been told that Iran stands with my people and strives for my freedom. Today I see courageous women as well as men stand in the streets of Iran to demand their freedom, dignity and human rights. A government that kills its own people cannot help to liberate any other people. To Jina, and all other women and men who gave their lives in the past days, and all who still fight I want to say, I am with you, and against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Video caption:
To all my Palestinian friends,
I am sharing this statement in support for women and men that are fighting in the streets of Iran against the Islamic Republic of Iran after the killing of Jina/MahsaAmini. The Iranian government claims that it strives for our freedom as Palestinians, but we know that a regime that kills its own people, oppress its own women, can’t help liberate our people, us. So, it’s time to say it out loud to our sisters and brothers in the streets of Iran: We Stand With You. I will share the text in the first comment, if you want to record it, please share it with the following hashtags: #PalestiniansForIranians #mahsaamini
This is right and righteous stand and as our Emergency Appeal makes clear:
All of Iran’s political prisoners must be unconditionally and immediately released. The governments of the U.S. and Iran act from their national interests. And, in this instance, we the people of the U.S. and Iran, along with the people of the world, have OUR shared interests, as part of getting to a better world: to unite to defend the political prisoners of Iran. In the U.S., we have a special responsibility to unite very broadly against this vile repression by the IRI, and to actively oppose any war moves by the U.S. government that would bring even more unbearable suffering to the people of Iran. We demand of the Islamic Republic of Iran: FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW! We say to the U.S. government: NO THREATS OR WAR MOVES AGAINST IRAN, LIFT U.S. SANCTIONS!
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