Second Letter from Seyyed Mostafa Tajzadeh from the IRGC Prison to Ayatollah Khamenei

Mustafa Tajzadeh had previously written a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on October 18. As reported, this letter was written in response to the increasing pressures from the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards on him and the lack of resolution to his issues.

The text of the letter is as follows:

Dear Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei,

Greetings,

As you are aware, despite more than 100 days having passed since my illegal detention and unjust trial, including the issuance and enforcement of the sentence, I am still imprisoned in the IRGC’s detention center, deprived of all the rights granted to prisoners. I am now enduring my eighth year of imprisonment.

You know that according to unjust sentences for baseless accusations in illegal conditions, and against the basic rights of prisoners, I have been imprisoned for seven years in solitary confinement solely due to criticizing the general policies of the regime and my sincere and reformist efforts to change the government's approach to returning to the path of rule of law, freedom, justice, democracy, and the rights of the people. This time, under a one-dimensional government, due to my honest criticisms of the incorrect policies of the country’s administration and the regime's leadership, I have been sentenced to eight years in prison. Again, instead of serving my sentence in general wards, I am illegally detained in the IRGC’s detention center, enduring my eighth year of unjust imprisonment.

In contrast, Saeed Asgar, who attempted to assassinate Saeed Hajjarian, the Deputy Chairman of Tehran City Council and one of the most prominent political and cultural figures in the country, in front of hundreds of citizens in March 1999, served less than a year of his 15-year sentence in the IRGC’s prison. After his release, he soon became the leader of the attackers on the dormitory of Allameh Tabatabai University.

I mention this example among numerous others to highlight why the judiciary under your command lacks the power and capability to enforce justice and establish order, stability, and security in the country. The judiciary is under the control of security and military agents who dictate the fate of defendants to the judges and even make life in prison harder for political prisoners after the issuance and enforcement of their sentences.

Despite being deprived of information access in the IRGC prison, I am aware of the country's unrest and widespread social protests, which I had predicted and repeatedly warned you about. It is regrettable that the harmful methods of authoritarian and individual-centric governance only lead to increasing public discontent and the overflowing patience of the people. It is astonishing that the government has not learned from these events and, instead of correcting its incorrect policies and gaining public satisfaction, continues to pursue the suppression of protesters, detaining and prosecuting intellectuals, political and civil activists, journalists, students, artists, and other social reference groups!

In my letter dated October 18, I wrote to you about the rule-breaking and pressure exerted by IRGC agents on me, which was only due to my constructive criticism of the leadership's performance. It is regrettable that instead of alleviating the pressures and hardships after the publication of the letter, they have increased. My basic rights as a prisoner, such as phone calls and family visits, have been cut off, with the reason given by the agents being non-compliance with the rules.

Now, having dedicated my life to honest and responsible service to the country and its people, I express my concern about my safety in the IRGC prison and the situation of thousands of innocent and defenseless protesters imprisoned across the country, whose lives are at risk amid the lawlessness and arbitrary application of the law.

Seyyed Mostafa Tajzadeh
October 30, 2022
Evin Prison
Ward 12