In February 2026, two political prisoners held in Iran’s prison system—one under a sentence of death—sent messages from prison describing intensifying repression, secret detentions, and what they characterize as crimes against humanity. From Ghezel Hesar Prison and Yazd Prison, they warned of escalating abuses while expressing unwavering belief in the ultimate victory of the Iranian people.
“The Main Earthquake Is Still Ahead”
From Ghezel Hesar Prison, political prisoner Shahrokh Daneshvar Kar, currently on death row, wrote that the nationwide uprising was neither unexpected nor over.
“It had been completely clear for months that an uprising in Iran was on the way,” he stated. Referring to the January events, he described them as “only a pre-earthquake,” adding: “The main earthquake that will bring down the throne of Khamenei’s rule lies ahead of us and is inevitable.”
Children Detained During Iran’s January Uprising in Alarming Conditions #IranRevolution #FreeIran2026 #No2ShahNo2Mullahshttps://t.co/41WgQNzPfu
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) February 19, 2026
According to Daneshvar Kar, once protests gained momentum, efforts were made to manipulate their direction. He argued that what was “entirely an internal uprising” was portrayed as externally driven in order to serve the interests of the ruling establishment.
He placed responsibility for the crackdown on regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“Khamenei, the executioner, ordered that the protesters be put in their place,” he wrote. “The repression apparatus labeled freedom-seeking people as ‘terrorists’ and, with full brutality, began killing, committing ‘crimes against humanity,’ and carrying out mass arrests.”
While public attention has focused on images of violence in the streets, Daneshvar Kar stressed that many abuses remain hidden.
“Young people and many citizens have been arrested, and there is no news or trace of them,” he warned, noting that detainees range “from minors under 18 to elderly women and men” who are being held in secret detention centers or official prisons.
Drawing on his own experience within the judicial and security system, he described what he says detainees now face: “brutal physical torture,” “false promises,” and “repeated threats by interrogators.” He explained the purpose of such treatment: “All this pressure is solely aimed at extracting forced confessions and fabricating cases to justify unjust and baseless sentences.”
Facing execution himself, Daneshvar Kar issued an appeal beyond Iran’s borders.
“I call on awakened consciences, human rights institutions and international bodies responsible for protecting human dignity and preventing human rights violations and genocide to move beyond verbal ‘condemnations’ and mere ‘expressions of concern’ and take concrete and decisive action.”
He urged immediate measures to secure the release of detainees, conduct prison inspections, and hold authorities accountable. “Even today is late,” he warned. “Many lives are in danger.”
Addressing families of detainees, he encouraged them not to yield to pressure or deception by intelligence agents and to publicize arrests and deaths “as quickly as possible and with details.”
“Remember,” he wrote, “the very foundation of solitary confinement is to cut the detainee off from the outside world so that they imagine there is no option but to believe the interrogators. With the silence of families, the hand of repression becomes freer and the solitary cell tighter.”
His message was dated February 2026 from Ghezel Hesar Prison.
“We Are the Change We Have Been Waiting For”
In a separate statement dated February 15, 2026, political prisoner Parisa Kamali wrote from Yazd Prison, honoring those killed in the struggle for freedom and affirming hope in the face of repression.
Imprisoned Sharif Students Send Defiant Messages Ahead of the 40th Day of January Uprising Martyrs #IranProtests #IranRevolution #FreeIran2026 #No2ShahNo2Mullahshttps://t.co/C1oQOLhKSD via @irannewsupdate1
— Iran News Update (@IranNewsUpdate1) February 17, 2026
“Greetings to the martyrs of the path of freedom and their families,” she began.
Reflecting on years of injustice, she wrote: “For years we have mourned the absence of justice and freedom. But for our sisters and brothers—our daughters and sons—who gave their lives like butterflies on this path, we do not wail or despair. We take pride in them.”
Kamali pledged that the struggle would continue.
“We will never let this flag fall to the ground until the day our homeland Iran is free,” she wrote. “We believe that this blood-stained path will end in victory, and that this blood will cleanse our homeland of these sinister criminals.”
In one of the most striking lines of her message, she emphasized collective responsibility:
“We are exactly the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we are seeking.”
