The cover of the statement by Iranian Writers’ Association to mark its 55th anniversary
The Iranian Writers’ Association has marked its 55th anniversary by renewing its commitment to freedom of expression in the Islamic Republic.
In a statement, the association said, "Freedom of expression is the gateway to other freedoms, and hope for change does not fit within the framework of tyranny.
"We are celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the Iranian Writers' Association in a situation that the regime has spilled the blood of countless freedom-seekers and protesters, executed some, and jailed many in prisons."
The association recalled how last year, hours after the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, it openly expressed solidarity with the freedom movement of the Iranian people.
The public stance in defiance of the authoritarian regime’s crackdown and crimes has led to the widespread suppression of the Iranian Writers Association, reads the statement.
But the association vowed that the brutal repression will not stop their quest for freedom.
The Iranian regime increased the number of arrests of prominent writers and other artists after popular antigovernment protests broke out in September 2022.
According to PEN America’s 2021 Freedom to Write Index, Iran jailed the fourth-highest number of writers and public intellectuals in the world. In 2022, arrests of writers and other artists have spiked dramatically.
A prominent member of the Writers Association, Reza Khandan Mahabadi, was released in February after months of detention.
He wrote on his Facebook page after his release that the Iranian regime’s suppression of protests added to people's grief, but “it could not put the genie back into the bottle.”