{"id":344899,"date":"2026-05-07T06:21:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T05:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=344899"},"modified":"2026-05-07T06:21:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T05:21:41","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-may-7-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-may-7-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 May 7, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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May 5, 2026: NCRI supporters in Hamburg, Germany, held a rally and photo exhibition to protest the execution of political prisoners in Iran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

UPDATE: 07:00 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Force They Cannot Hang: How Six PMOI Martyrs Conquered Death At Ghezel Hesar<\/h3>\n

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\"Six<\/p>\n

The Iranian regime relies on the gallows to project power and instill terror among the public. However, a newly obtained eyewitness report from Ghezel Hesar Prison reveals the exact opposite: the clerical dictatorship is profoundly terrified, while its political prisoners have entirely conquered the fear of death.<\/p>\n

Following the massive nationwide uprisings of December 2025 and January 2026, the regime accelerated its campaign of state-sanctioned terror. Between March 30 and April 4, 2026, authorities in Ghezel Hesar prison hanged six political prisoners and members of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK).<\/p>\n

Branded as \u201cterrorists\u201d by the ruling establishment, these highly educated professionals and veteran political prisoners did not go to the gallows as victims. As the newly smuggled testimony proves, they went as victors, showcasing a fearless spirit that renders the regime\u2019s ultimate weapon completely useless.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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PMOI Resistance Units Launch Daring Operations in Defiance of Protester\u2019s Execution<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

Across Iran, PMOI\/MEK Resistance Units have launched a swift and daring wave of operations targeting the clerical regime\u2019s symbols and centers of repression. These activities, carried out on May 3, sent a clear message that the regime\u2019s reliance on the gallows will be met with unyielding defiance. The widespread operations were launched in direct retaliation for the recent execution of Sasan Azadvar, a courageous youth arrested during Iran\u2019s massive January uprisings.<\/p>\n

At dawn on April 30, 2026, the Iranian regime executed\u00a0Sasan Azadvar<\/a>, a 21-year-old karate champion and rebellious youth from Isfahan. Arrested during the massive December 2025\u2013January 2026 nationwide uprising that brought the clerical establishment to its knees, Azadvar was severely tortured before his death. The criminal death sentence was issued by Branch 1 of Isfahan\u2019s sham Revolutionary Court, presided over by the notorious executioner Judge Morteza Barati, and was quickly upheld by the regime\u2019s Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran: Pressure Intensifies on Women Political Prisoners Mainly Those Linked to PMOI<\/h3>\n

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Iranian authorities have intensified pressure and punitive measures against women political prisoners, mainly those supporting the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK)<\/a>, amid a broader escalation in repression and executions across the country.\u00a0In recent weeks, several female prisoners have reportedly faced new legal cases, additional prison sentences, denial of medical treatment, and restrictions on family visits.<\/p>\n

According to reports from Evin Prison, Shiva Esmaili and Elaheh Fooladi, two prisoners arrested for supporting the PMOI, were sentenced to an additional six months in prison on charges of \u201cinsulting the leadership\u201d after protesting the death of fellow prisoner Somayeh Rashidi.<\/p>\n

Rashidi, 42, died on September 25, 2025, in Qarchak Prison, south of Tehran. Opposition sources described her death as occurring under torture and abusive prison conditions.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran: Female Prisoners Held in Inhumane Conditions at Vakilabad Prison<\/h3>\n

\"Iran-Mashhad-Vakilabad-prison-02012021\"<\/p>\n

The \u201cAramesh\u201d ward at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad houses a number of female prisoners. At present, at least 23 women are being held in this ward, some of whom were arrested during the\u00a0January 2026 protests<\/a>, as well as others detained amid the\u00a0onset of military tensions<\/a> and the intensified security climate that followed.\u00a0In addition, at least seven other female prisoners are being held in the prison\u2019s quarantine ward. Accordingly, the total number of women held in the Aramesh and quarantine wards\u00a0at Vakilabad Prison<\/a>\u00a0is estimated to be at least 30.<\/p>\n

These wards suffer from a lack of basic facilities, including proper ventilation, adequate sanitation and bathing infrastructure, sufficient bedding, and appropriate\u00a0access to medical care<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The detention process for these individuals typically begins with their transfer to Ward 6, where female detainees are held incommunicado and denied visitation rights throughout the interrogation phase. After interrogations conclude, prisoners over the age of 18 are transferred to either the Aramesh ward or the quarantine ward.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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War as Policy, Poverty as Outcome: How the Iran Regime Sacrifices Livelihoods for Survival<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

In the governing logic of the Iran regime, \u201cpreservation of the system\u201d is not merely a priority\u2014it is an absolute imperative that consumes and justifies everything else. Within this framework, even war can be reframed as a \u201cblessing,\u201d provided it reinforces the durability of the power structure. What disappears from this calculus, however, is the lived reality of millions of Iranians whose daily survival is sacrificed to sustain that very system.\u00a0A stark illustration of this doctrine is the regime\u2019s sweeping internet shutdown and its cascading consequences. Officially justified by wartime conditions, the policy has had immediate and devastating effects on the livelihoods of millions. In practice, cutting internet access has meant cutting off income. Millions of individuals whose economic survival depends on digital platforms and social networks have been abruptly excluded from the cycle of earning. This was not an unintended side effect\u2014it was a deliberate extension of a policy that places regime preservation above all else.<\/p>\n

An article published on May 4, 2026, in the state-affiliated\u00a0Jahan-e Sanat<\/em>\u00a0newspaper provides a revealing account of the scale of this crisis. It notes that pre-existing economic hardships\u2014already severe before March 2026\u2014have been sharply intensified \u201cby the bitter addition of war.\u201d Yet what pushed the situation into unprecedented territory, the paper acknowledges, was the internet blockade itself. Imposed swiftly after the outbreak of conflict, it erected what the article describes as \u201ca massive barrier to livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s Economic Breakdown: War Damage, Internet Blackouts, and a Collapsing Labor Market<\/h3>\n

\"Tehran,<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s economy is no longer experiencing isolated shocks\u2014it is undergoing a systemic breakdown. The combined effects of military conflict, prolonged internet shutdowns, currency devaluation, and structural mismanagement are dismantling both production and livelihoods at an accelerating pace.<\/p>\n

At the industrial level, recent military strikes have damaged key infrastructure, disrupting production and employment. Major manufacturing facilities have been partially disabled, forcing companies to scale back operations or halt them entirely. In some instances, workers have reportedly been told they must participate in debris removal efforts before receiving delayed wages\u2014an indication of severe liquidity constraints and deteriorating labor conditions.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the prolonged shutdown of international internet access\u2014now exceeding two months\u2014has effectively paralyzed Iran\u2019s digital economy. This sector had become a critical source of employment, particularly for young people, women, and skilled professionals engaged in freelancing, e-commerce, digital services, and financial trading.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Childhood Weaponized: How the Iran Regime Turns Children into Instruments of War<\/h3>\n

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For the Iran regime, war is not merely a contingency\u2014it is a strategic instrument. Its importance is so central that even children are drawn into its orbit, transformed into tools serving broader political and ideological objectives. This is not a recent development but part of a continuous cycle that began during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and persists today in more sophisticated forms.\u00a0From the era of child soldiers to modern propaganda campaigns, the regime has consistently used adolescents to legitimize a militarized social order. Even children killed in conflict are not spared; their deaths are repurposed into narratives that reinforce the regime\u2019s ideology. In this system, the child is not only a victim of war but also an instrument within it.<\/p>\n

During the 1980s, one of the most notorious practices was the distribution of plastic \u201ckeys to paradise\u201d to child soldiers\u2014symbols promising spiritual reward in exchange for sacrifice. Many of these children were sent into minefields with minimal training, effectively used to clear paths for advancing forces. Today, although the methods have changed, the underlying logic remains the same. Teenagers are now encouraged to participate in urban security roles, including street checkpoints, keeping them embedded within the regime\u2019s security structure.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Voice They Could Not Silence: Vahid Bani Amerian\u2019s Final Testament<\/h3>\n

The executions carried out in Ghezel Hesar Prison between March 30 and April 4, 2026, marked another chapter in the Iranian regime\u2019s long confrontation with organized political opposition. Among those executed were six imprisoned members of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK): Vahid Bani Amerian, Mohammad Taghavi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghabadi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, and Abolhassan Montazer.<\/p>\n

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The Final Defense of Political Prisoner Vahid Bani Amerian<\/div><\/div>
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