The Speech of Sadegh Ghotbzadeh at Evin Prison’s Hosseiniyeh: I Am Ashamed and Grateful

My trial has ended, and what I am saying is not for any particular purpose; it is simply what I have said in court and is meant to clarify things for you.

The incident I was involved in was essentially an attempt to overthrow the government, the Islamic Republic of Iran. I was opposed to certain individuals whom I believed should not be in positions of power. In this context, I collaborated on two fronts: one was military and the other was with the clergy, specifically with Mr. Shari’atmadari.

As I mentioned, the plan was to arrest the leaders, and to change the government, not the system. After the arrests and learning that these individuals and the military group had connections with foreign entities—without my knowledge, including with SAVAK and mainly monarchists and others I was unaware of—it became clear to me two things: one is the mistake of collaborating with people you do not know and have not investigated thoroughly, regardless of whether the collaboration is right or wrong; and the other is that this approach of dealing with and changing the situation through military means and force, without a constitutional basis, is inherently wrong. If I had any objections, I should have expressed them through legal channels and faced the consequences. But collaborating with someone you do not know leads to such outcomes. Some might ask if I would have proceeded if I had known them, and my answer would be that the approach itself was wrong.

Furthermore, why is it problematic to engage with someone you do not know? When you see that they had relationships with foreign entities, for example with Ariana and possibly foreign politicians, you realize that you have unwittingly become involved in a situation where the policy is controlled by the US and others. When we got involved, there was no alternative, and this embarrassment comes from having to align with those opposed to the Islamic Republic and connected with foreign entities.

Secondly, I am grateful that this plan failed, even though it cost lives. From the information received while I was in prison, it became clear that if we had succeeded, much of the burden would have fallen on me, particularly the political aspect. However, those who were part of the collaboration and revealed their true affiliations—essentially lying—could no longer be trusted. After this victory, some people would have been killed, and we would have been eliminated as elements, becoming brokers in the region and, God forbid, staining our hands with the blood of others. This is another reason for gratitude that I was not an accomplice in such a crime or a broker of a crime. I am grateful to God that I was not involved in such a crime or tied to American policies. I had some religious convictions, but I was being pushed in that direction, whether I wanted it or not. Any decent person would realize that it is a blessing that this plan failed and we did not end up in a crime-ridden situation. The regret is that some of our time and efforts were wasted.

I am sharing these thoughts because I mentioned them briefly in court and want to elaborate with you and others who want to understand. What I have said in court was without any requests or ulterior motives.

I am thankful to God and truly embarrassed to be in this position. I hope God guides us all and that our end is a good one. It is important for one’s end to be good, and mine, so far, has been good because I have not been involved in a crime or dependency. I hope that God continues to have mercy on us, and I want to state that this is my perspective, and whatever God wills will happen.