CRY FREEDOM.net
formerly known as
Women's Liberation Front
'Insight is the first step of resistance against any ideologic form of dictatorial and misogynistic oppression'

Tribute to KIAN PIRFALA, 9 years old and victim of the Islamic Republic's savagery 10 years ago

 HEAR JINA AMINI'S VOICE
And do read also the above linked  incredible December 2023 update!

despite the mullahs' regime to force it down!
Her mother speaks out loud and clear
UPDATED: September 29 - 16, 2024
Second Anniversary of Jina Amini's
state-sanctioned murder
incl. Commemorating Bloody Friday
a wave of arrests of her fellow-citizen

Overview of news about the Second aniversary of Jina Amini's state-sactioned murder September 2024


JINA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.

Read also: Armita's Story: Iran's Generation Z Rebellion Against the Ayatollahs

Ongoing since Oct. 3, 2024:
Commemoration of the Fallen for
Freedom Part6
 Click here for previous Commemorations  
And more commemorational stories
Tortured to Death: The Story of Atefeh Na'ami
Violence During Woman, Life, Freedom Protests

'Women's Arab Spring 1.2'
April 5, 2025
Incl. Syria: YPJ The Women’s Protection Units fighters

  
 About the Afghanistan Women Revolt
April 4, 2025

PALESTINE
April 7, 2025

HAIL TO THE IRANIAN WOMEN'S REVOLUTIONISTS FALLEN FOR FREDOM
against the supreme leader, the arch-reactionary Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, and his placeman president. The message of the women when the former president visited a university was plain: <give way or get lost> in 2023 and still is.
IN MEMORY OF ASRA PANAHI (16)- JINA MAMINI (22) - NIKA SHAKARAMI (16), SARINA ESMAILZADEH (16) HADIS NAJAFI (20), AND MORE WOMEN WHO WERE ASSASINATED SO FAR BY THE IRANIAN AXIS OF EVIL.
  Click here for a total list so far

(Updates April 9, 2025) z

UPDATES OF THE UPRISING  AND REVOLUTION AROUND THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF JINA AMINI IN CUSTODY OF THE REGIME'S ATTEMPT AND CRUELTY TO TRY AND CRUSH IT.

This links to a page that is in full dedicated and a tribute to Jina Amini who, with stilll 'till today too many other sisters gave their life for freedom. Long live a long and free Iran And do read also the above linked  incredible December 2023 update! despite the mullahs' regime to force it down! Her mother speaks out loud and clear UPDATED: September 29 - 16, 2024 Second Anniversary of Jina Amini's state-sanctioned murder incl. Commemorating Bloody Friday and earlier news about a wave of arrests of her fellow-citizen

We all grief for the loss of our sister / daughter of Iran Armita Gevarnand:   Read her updated story here   & Actual news:  Generation Z Leads Hijab Rebellion on Tehran’s Streets and Earlier Stories and more

UPDATE April 8, 2025 Actual news of the
continues resistance of the

Sisters 4 each other, Sisters 4 All
Narges Mohammadi: "Tyranny will fall"
Pakhshan Azizi: "You dictator, I am Arash, fire responds to fire,"
Sharifeh Mohammadi: "Finally, one day, I will sing the song of victory from the summit of the mountain, like the sun. Tomorrow belongs to us"
Varisha Moradi: "Resistance is life"
 in continuation of the resistance of the 4 sisters and others
Earlier reports
and
read all their previous fights

When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
 and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Symbol of restance of Iranian women


Iranian Heroines Who Saved Ashraf
NCRI - April 7, 2025 - in Articles, Women's News
Iranian Heroines Whose Epic Resistance Saved Ashraf
Iranian heroines whose epic resistance saved Ashraf
One of the most courageous confrontations in the world’s history of nationalist wars and liberation movements took place on April 8, 2011, in Ashraf, Iraq, the seat of the Iranian opposition movement at the time. Spearheaded by 1,000 Iranian heroines, the PMOI freedom fighters stood up to a column of ten armored, infantry, mechanized brigades, and battalions of the Iraqi forces who attacked Ashraf City at the behest of the Iranian regime to massacre all of its defenseless residents, destroy the city and annihilate the opposition. The young and old freedom fighters, women and men, were empty-handed without any shields. Snipers targeted their heads and hearts. At least 22 people were run over by armored vehicles. Residential units were shelled. Iraqi troops did not allow the wounded to be taken to hospital. The shooting of heavy armored vehicles and snipers continued incessantly for six hours. The plan was to massacre all the residents of Ashraf. 180 people were shot directly. A number of hostages died in captivity. Some 300 people were wounded. In the history of nationalist and revolutionary wars, there never was an instance where people stood, empty-handed without any shields, in front of armored vehicles and armed forces of the enemy and yet succeeded in repelling them. The attack was another link in the long chain of terrorist schemes, blockades, and massacres of the Iranian opposition members carried out by Tehran’s puppet in Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But Ashraf residents stood firm and resolved to prevent the enemy from taking over the city, which was the beating heart of the Iranian people’s Resistance movement. Eight Iranian heroines and 28 heroes were killed either by the Iraqi Army snipers or were run over by armored vehicles. Hundreds more were seriously wounded, some by grenades thrown to explode among them. The price was horrendous, but these Iranian heroines and heroes managed to stop the enemy’s advancement and save Ashraf, the Iranian people’s bastion of freedom. They proved that they could overcome any force by their amazing unity and steadfastness and by paying the dear price. This was not only a military confrontation but a staunch defense of the most sacred humane values inspiring people to fight for freedom and equality. In this epic picture, there were eight Iranian heroines who fought and died at the forefront of the confrontations but foiled a major conspiracy by the mullahs through their sacrifice and courage. These women symbolized the resolve and sincerity of a generation of women. These 1,000 Iranian heroines pioneered and led the Iranian Resistance movement and comprise an unprecedented asset to the Iranian people’s 150-year history of struggle for freedom, an amazing force for change. If and when they overcome the misogynous Godfathers of fundamentalism and terrorism in Tehran, they will change the situation in Iran and have a great impact on the war-torn Middle East and petrified Europe.
Here is a glance at the lives of the eight Iranian heroines slain during an epic resistance on April 8, 2011:
Saba Haftbaradaran was born in a Tehran prison in 1982. Her father and mother had been imprisoned for their opposition to the mullahs’ regime. Saba was 1.5 years old when she came out with her mother’s release. After both her parents were released from prison, they left the country and joined the Iranian Resistance in the border region. She grew up in Ashraf and was sent abroad to Germany when the Gulf war began in 1990 and children were in danger of being killed in the massive bombardments of Iraq. Saba, however, did not forget the suffering of her people. She said, “I cannot enjoy having the best life and education in Germany, when I hear every day shocking news of women and children suffering in my homeland.” So, she left Germany and went back to Ashraf in 1998. With the beginning of another war in Iraq in 2003, another testing time began for Saba and for all the young women and men like her who were being exposed to the difficulties of struggling against the mullahs’ regime in a strange land. Of course, this generation remained steadfast in the stormy events of post-war Iraq and under attacks from the Iraqi agents of the Iranian regime. Saba was 29 when she was shot in the thigh and started bleeding heavily. Iraqi forces impeded her treatment by delaying her transfer to the hospital. Nevertheless, they did not allow Saba to receive blood from the blood bank, a measure that led to her eventual loss of life.
Saba’s last words were: “We will remain steadfast to the last breath.”
And with those words and her courageous endurance, she turned into the symbol of the epic resistance on April 8, 2011, in Ashraf.
Shahnaz Pahlavani is another of the Iranian heroines slain on April 8, 2011. She was born in 1961 in Ramhormouz, in southern Iran. She grew up and studied in Isfahan in an orthodox Muslim family but did not like the practices of her family. After the 1979 revolution in Iran, she found her ideals in opposition. Still, she lost her contact with the PMOI after it was declared banned in the country, and the PMOI supporters and sympathizers were mass executed and massacred by the regime. In 2003, she found out that she could travel to Iraq and join the movement, which was the happiest moment of her life. Shahnaz was very grateful for finding the movement after years of separation. She was willing to sacrifice anything for the good of others and the advancement of the goals and objectives of the Resistance in Ashraf. On April 8, 2011, when Ashraf was under attack, she volunteered to join the front line of men and women who defended the city and was slain in the direct shootings of defenseless Ashraf residents.
Mahdiyeh Madadzadeh was 29 when she joined the Resistance movement in Ashraf. She had received her Bachelors of Science in Computer Software. She was very dissatisfied with the situation and the ruling regime in Iran, and she found the answer in the Resistance movement that was based in Ashraf. After going through many difficulties, she overcame all the obstacles and joined the movement with her sisters and brothers. Mahdiyeh was 32 when a sniper directly shot her. Her brother, Akbar, was also ran over by an armored vehicle on April 8, 2011.
Asiyeh Rakhshani‘s parents, both PMOI activists, had to leave Iran to join the Resistance. So, she never saw the homeland she loved so much. Her ancestors were from Sistan and Baluchestan, and she loved her native land dearly and followed up on their news. She joined the Resistance in 1999 and she was very devoted to the cause. She was prepared to sacrifice from her own for the well-being of others. She believed that the fate of her people in Iran is tied to the efforts and resolve of the pioneers in Ashraf, including herself. Most recently, she was into film production and helped document the events in Ashraf. So, on April 8, 2011, she was also filming the scenes of savagery and brutality of the Iraqi forces, targeting and shooting the human chain of her friends and comrades who were defending their city with their flesh and bone. Finally, she became a target for the snipers at the age of 28. Faezeh Rajabi was only 20 when she was shot in the neck by snipers after she rushed to the front human chain to defend Ashraf. Faezeh’s father was a political prisoner of the clerical regime who was killed under vicious torture in 2008 after seven years in prison. Faezeh went to Ashraf and joined the Resistance after her father was slain. Nastaran Azimi was born in 1987 in Tehran. She was a second-year student of Computer Software at Tehran’s Azad University (Central Branch) when she was arrested and imprisoned for her anti-government student activities.
Prison strengthened her resolve to continue her struggle against the regime. In 2006, she found out about the existence of this hub of resistance against the regime. A subsequent visit to Ashraf completely changed her life. Upon return to Iran, she was arrested and imprisoned again. After coming out on bail, she started arranging for another trip to Ashraf for good. In Ashraf, she was always in the first line of people defending Ashraf during attacks. So was the case on April 8, 2011, when she was targeted by sharp shooters and lost her prolific life at the age of 26.
Marzieh Pournaghi was 48 when she lost her life in the April 8 attack. She had known the PMOI since she was a high school student in Iran. She was arrested and imprisoned in 1983 when she was 18 for supporting the PMOI. She spent three years in prison and lost contact with the movement. She received a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences Research. In 2007, she found out about Ashraf and traveled there for a visit. Upon return to Iran, she was arrested and imprisoned but later released on heavy bail. Then, she quickly left the country with her husband and son in June 2008 to join the movement in Ashraf. Marzieh was very popular for being very kind and humble, at the same time determined. Her son was 16 when he lost his mother.
Fatemeh Massih was born in 1956 in the central Iranian city of Yazd. Her family were religious but at the same time very much against oppression of the mullahs. The clerical regime killed her aunt in the early 1980s, her husband and five of their children, and her son-in-law. So, Fatemeh had felt the regime’s oppression with her flesh and bone. Fatemeh used to say that it was her dream to find the PMOI and join them so that she could struggle for the freedom of her country from the mullahs’ clutches. However, with the history of her family, it was very difficult for her to find a way to leave the country. Finally, when she did so with her two daughters, it was the happiest day of her life. These words are remembered when she said, “All my life and existence is for my people, and I have vowed to continue the path of those who gave their lives for freedom.” She loved her sisters in Ashraf, and she worked hard day and night without letting anyone find out about her efforts. She did not expect anything for herself. On April 8, 2011, she was also one of those who had rushed to the front line to defend Ashraf and help their wounded sisters and brothers.
With their sacrifices, these heroines saved Ashraf and impacted subsequent developments, which opened the way for Iran’s freedom. They will always be remembered as heroines who hoisted the flag of freedom in the darkest days of their country’s history.>>
Source: https://wncri.org/2025/04/07/iranian-heroines-epic-resistance/

and

Hengaw Organisation for Human Right - April 4, 2025
<<Fatwa Against Newroz: the Friday Imam of Mariwan threatens Kurds with repression and violence
Mustafa Sherzadi, the Friday Imam appointed by Ali Khamenei in Mariwan, has issued threats of extrajudicial and violent action (fatwa) against Kurds, particularly the residents of the village of “Ney,” for celebrating Newroz. Shirzadi, who previously played a key role in the execution of Kurdish political prisoners Zaniar and Loghman Moradi, has once again encouraged violent repression. According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Mustafa Sherzadi, known as a security-religious figure of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mariwan, warned young people against holding Newroz celebrations and incited groups called the “Religious Honor Forces” to attack and suppress Kurds. Fatwa for violence against Newroz: Evidence of threats by the Friday Imam of Mariwan Based on an audio file obtained by Hengaw, Sherzadi made derogatory remarks during his Friday sermon on March 28, 2025, directly insulting the youth of Mariwan, particularly those organizing Newroz celebrations in the village of “Ney.” He is known for his support of extremist Salafi groups and close cooperation with the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In his threats, he stated:
“Muslims must crush the teeth of these people (Newroz organizers) with their boots and send them all to prison.”
Newroz in Mariwan: Resistance against government suppression
The Newroz celebrations in “Ney” Mariwan are traditionally attended by large crowds and feature performances of resistance songs. Despite heavy security pressure this year, authorities failed to prevent the event. However, in the days leading up to the festival, at least seven Kurdish activists from this village were arrested by the Intelligence Agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
• Aram Nikpey
• Mohammad Nikpey (two cousins with the same name)
• Mohammad Eshtak
• Keyvan Minouei
• Keyhan Tadbiri (17 years old)
• Kaveh Dastan
Dozens of other people were summoned, interrogated, and threatened.
Mustafa Sherzadi’s role in the execution of Zaniar and Loghman Moradi
In 2009, Mustafa Sherzadi played a pivotal role in the execution of Zaniar and Loghman Moradi, collaborating with the security apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran to seek revenge for the killing of his son by unknown individuals. The trial process for these two political prisoners was entirely non-transparent and unjust. Lawyer Saleh Nikbakht stated: “At the very least, I can say that Zaniar and Loghman Moradi’s involvement in the murder was never proven in Tehran’s Criminal Court, as no proper trial was held.” Due to Sherzadi’s persistence and pressure, Zaniar Moradi, his cousin Loghman Moradi, and fellow Kurdish political prisoner Ramin Hossein Panahi were executed on September 8, 2018, in Raja’i Shahr Prison, Karaj.
Newroz and systematic threats by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Kurds
This is not the first time that Friday Imams appointed by Khamenei have threatened Kurdish people for celebrating their culture and identity. Previously, Allah-Noor Karimi-Tabar, the Friday Imam of Ilam, described Newroz as conflicting with the state’s ideology and accused it of being orchestrated by so-called “enemies.” Hengaw strongly condemns Mustafa Sherzadi’s threats against Kurds and considers his remarks a clear incitement to violence and crime. Threatening civilians with violent repression simply for celebrating Newroz is a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and cultural freedoms. Experience has shown that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s security policies against Kurds and other oppressed groups have always been supported by the state’s religious authorities. Hengaw urges the international community, human rights organizations, and independent media to pay closer attention to the systematic threats against Kurds, especially during cultural celebrations.
https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/04/article-7

And

PIC
report on women’s rights violations 2025
Hengaw Organisation for Human Right - April 2, 2025
<<Hengaw's monthly report on women’s rights violations in Iran – March 2025
According to data documented by the Statistics and Documentation Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at least 17 women activists were arrested and 6 others were sentenced to prison by the Iran's judiciary in March 2025. During the same period, at least 8 femicides and 4 executions of women were reported across various cities in Iran.
Executions of women in Iran
In March 2025, at least four women were executed in different prisons across Iran. Three were convicted of premeditated murder and one of drug-related offenses.
Their names are as follows:
1. Asieh Ghavicheshm, from Mashhad, was executed in Mashhad Central Prison for drug-related charges.
2. Nasrin Barani, from Isfahan, was executed in Isfahan Central Prison for murder.
3. Mozhgan Azarpisheh, from Urmia, was executed in Urmia Central Prison for murder.
4. Kosar Baghernejad, from Bonab, was executed in Urmia Central Prison for murder.
17 women arrested in March 2025
At least 17 women activists were arrested by security forces in March 2025. This figure represents 13.5% of all arrests documented that month. Notably, 9 of the 17 detained women (53%) were Kurdish activists.
The names of the arrested women are as follows:
Sanandaj:
1. Leila Pashaei (from Saqqez)
2. Baran Saeidi
3. Soma Mohammadzadeh
4. Shno Mohammadi
Tehran:
5. Sedigheh Noorbala
6. Fatemeh Atashi Khiavi (from Ardabil)
7. Marziyeh Ghafari Zadeh
8. Leila Qolikhani Ganjeh
Urmia:
9. Rojbin Afsoon
10. Avin Ahmadi
11. Sarya Ahmadi
Tabriz:
12. Sima Alipour
Dehdasht:
13. Mehregan Namavar
Dehgolan:
14. Soheila Motaei
Rasht:
15. Nina Golestani
Sardasht:
16. Arezoo Jalilzadeh
Semnan:
17. Anisa Fanaeian
Prison sentences Issued for women activists
Hengaw has confirmed that six women activists were sentenced in various cities across Iran to a combined total of 19 years, 11 months, and 8 days of prison time in March 2025.
The following women received sentences:
1. Narges Nasri (Tehran) – 10 years
2. Fereshteh Souri (Nahavand) – 1 year
3. Mandana Sadeghi (Abadan) – 4 years, 2 months, 7 days
4. Farzaneh Yahyaabadi (Abadan) – 3 months, 1 day
5. Hamideh Zarei (Rasht) – 1 year, 6 months
6. Kobra Taherkhani (Qazvin) – 3 years
The arrest and sentencing of women is a routine discriminatory practice under the Islamic Republic of Iran. During the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement, pressure on female activists intensified significantly. From its inception, the Islamic Republic of Iran has pursued a systematic policy of restricting women’s social, political, and human rights activism. These restrictions are reinforced by gender segregation laws and the criminalization of LGBTQ+ identities—cornerstones of Iran’s gender apartheid system.
Eight cases of femicides recorded in March 2025
Hengaw recorded at least 8 femicides in March 2025 across various Iranian cities. In all cases, the women were murdered by people close to them—including spouses and male relatives. According to the report, three women were killed by their husbands, while the other five were murdered by a fiancé, a daughter’s fiancé, a son, a brother, and an uncle-in-law. At least five of the murders were due to family disputes. Two women were killed after refusing marriage proposals, and one woman was murdered for unspecified reasons.
Breakdown by province:
• Isfahan Province: 3 cases
• Alborz, West Azerbaijan (Urmia), Tehran, Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan: 1 case each
Femicides represent the most extreme form of misogyny in society. So-called “honor killings” are only one subset of these murders. At their core, femicides are rooted in patriarchal, anti-woman structures and laws. According to Hengaw’s human rights data, 191 femicides were recorded in Iran in 2024, with the majority committed by close male relatives. Institutionalized misogyny in both law and culture normalizes such deep-rooted violence against women.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights classifies the Islamic Republic of Iran as a gender apartheid state—a system where the systematic murder and persecution of women is at times legally codified. The international community must recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity and incorporate it into international legal frameworks. It must also classify the Islamic Republic of Iran as a gender apartheid system and hold it accountable under international law for its anti-woman laws and systematic oppression of women.
Source: https://hengaw.net/en/reports-and-statistics-1/2025/04/article-3

Women's Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2025