In a powerful open letter, four incarcerated women activists held in Tehran's Evin prison have condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and warned against the growing tendency among some opposition circles to place hopes in foreign-backed regime change. The letter, published by the Persian service of ANF News Agency, denounces both the Iranian regime and Western imperialist interventions as part of the same repressive system.

The signatories – Varisheh Moradi, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, Sakineh Parvaneh, and Reyhaneh Ansarinejad – described the Israeli bombing of Evin prison as a calculated escalation targeting defenseless detainees. They accused the Israeli state of committing war crimes in Gaza and systematically dismantling regional autonomy. The objective of these attacks, they argue, is not democracy but “a weak and submissive Middle East.”

“The idea that our liberation can come through foreign powers is a dangerous illusion,” the letter states. “These powers have never brought freedom – only exploitation, war, and new forms of domination. The only path forward lies in resistance from below, through self-organization and the power of society.”

Resistance, not proxy politics

The political message of the letter is clear: neither Iran’s authoritarian regime nor the “imperial fantasies” of Washington or Tel Aviv offer a genuine path to democratization. The authors sharply criticized efforts – such as those by exiled figure Reza Pahlavi – to portray Israeli military aggression as an opportunity for regime change.

“Those who support this war are traitors to Iran, traitors to the peoples of the Middle East, and traitors to the decades-long struggle of the oppressed,” the women write. “Future generations will remember with shame those who stand on the corpses of the defenseless and trample them.”

The signatories

The four women are among the most prominent feminist voices in Iran. Varisheh Moradi is a member of the Community of Free Women of Eastern Kurdistan (KJAR) and previously fought against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Kobanê. For her advocacy of women's rights, autonomy, and Kurdish cultural identity – and her participation in the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” protests following the femicide of Jina Mahsa Amini – she was sentenced to death for alleged “armed rebellion.”

The other three signatories are serving sentences of several years for their involvement in women’s rights activism, labor organizing, and journalism. Together, they represent a generation of young activists confronting the intersecting systems of patriarchy and state repression.

Condemnation of Israeli attack on Evin Prison

Evin prison was bombed by Israeli fighter jets on Monday, resulting in multiple casualties among prisoners, judicial staff, and visitors, according to Iranian authorities. Verified information remains limited. Evin is widely known as a symbol of political repression, housing numerous political prisoners including ethnic minorities, women's rights defenders, and dissidents.

In their statement, the four women called on international human rights organizations to reject the proxy-war narrative and instead prioritize the protection of detainees. Their demands include an immediate ceasefire and the release of all political prisoners.

A struggle on two fronts

The letter from Evin is a clear rejection of a geopolitical logic that seeks to replace authoritarianism through militarized intervention. Instead, the activists articulate a grassroots, radically democratic vision driven by feminist, labor, and ethnic movements resisting all forms of domination – whether internal or external.

“Our hope lies not in drones or missiles, but in the resistance of our bodies, our voices, and our solidarity.”