From death row, Pouya Ghobadi salutes Iran’s uprising, denounces both monarchy and theocratic tyranny, and vows unwavering resistance against the regime of executions and repression.
A Death Row Message That Terrifies the Regime
The Iranian regime’s prisons, long intended to silence dissent, have once again turned into platforms of resistance. In a defiant letter smuggled from Qezel Hesar Prison, political prisoner Pouya Ghobadi, currently under a death sentence, openly aligns himself with Iran’s nationwide uprising and declares his readiness to fight at the forefront if he were free.
Introducing himself not merely as a prisoner but as an active part of the resistance, Ghobadi writes:
“As a resistance unit under a death sentence, if I were outside prison today, my duty would be to fight at the forefront of the people.”
From behind bars, he raises the same slogan echoing across Iran’s streets:
“From the depths of my being, alongside the heroic people, I shout: Death to the oppressor, whether Shah or Supreme Leader!”
Saluting the Uprising and Its Martyrs
Ghobadi opens his message with a salute to what he calls the uprising of 2026, praising protesters who have taken control of streets and cities for ten consecutive days while openly demanding the overthrow of the system of Velayat-e Faqih.
“Greetings to the uprising-makers of 2026 who for ten consecutive days have taken over streets and cities and are shouting the overthrow of Velayat-e Faqih.”
He pays tribute to those killed by regime forces across Iran:
“Greetings to the martyrs of the uprising, from Malekshahi and Kermanshah to Azna and Marvdasht, who stood up to oppression and opened the path with their blood.”
He also highlights the decisive role of resistance units and rebellious youth, describing their actions in terms that directly contradict the regime’s narrative of control:
“They do not fear; they instill fear. They push back Khamenei’s IRGC forces, disarm them, respond to fire with fire, and seize centers of repression and cities.”
A Historic Rejection of Both Dictatorships
In a sweeping historical indictment, Ghobadi places today’s uprising within more than a century of struggle against tyranny in Iran—from the Constitutional Revolution to the 1953 coup and the hijacking of the 1979 revolution.
He argues that the Iranian people have paid repeatedly for compromises imposed by foreign powers and internal reactionaries, and that the time has now come to end this cycle once and for all:
“Now the time has come to put an end to decades of torture, massacres, and the destruction of lives and futures.”
Rejecting any return to the past, he makes clear that tyranny is unacceptable regardless of its form:
“From this side of the mountain to that side, there is no difference between Sheikh and Shah.”
A Defiant Oath from Death Row
In the most powerful passage of the letter, Ghobadi reiterates his position as a condemned prisoner who refuses submission:
“As a resistance unit under a death sentence… I swear that on the path to my people’s freedom, I will never bow before this regime of execution and massacre.”
He frames his stance not only as political resistance but as a moral commitment before both the people and history:
“May I stand proud before God and the people.”
The letter concludes with an unambiguous declaration of purpose:
“Long live Iran’s new democratic revolution. Hail to the National Liberation Army of Iran.”
Fear Behind Prison Walls
Letters like this reveal a fundamental truth: despite executions, torture, and mass incarceration, the Iranian regime has failed to break the will of resistance. On the contrary, voices from death row now echo the chants of the streets, exposing the regime’s deepest fear—that even its harshest sentences cannot stop a people determined to be free.
Pouya Ghobadi
Political Prisoner – Qezel Hesar Prison
January 7, 2026
