diff --git a/monai/apps/detection/utils/anchor_utils.py b/monai/apps/detection/utils/anchor_utils.py
index 7f11302d0a..5821c0c353 100644
--- a/monai/apps/detection/utils/anchor_utils.py
+++ b/monai/apps/detection/utils/anchor_utils.py
@@ -234,7 +234,8 @@ def grid_anchors(self, grid_sizes: List[List[int]], strides: List[List[Tensor]])
         """
         anchors = []
         cell_anchors = self.cell_anchors
-        assert cell_anchors is not None
+        if cell_anchors is None:
+            raise AssertionError
 
         if not (len(grid_sizes) == len(strides) == len(cell_anchors)):
             raise ValueError(
diff --git a/monai/networks/blocks/feature_pyramid_network.py b/monai/networks/blocks/feature_pyramid_network.py
index 09ed2c6e20..2f7b903a19 100644
--- a/monai/networks/blocks/feature_pyramid_network.py
+++ b/monai/networks/blocks/feature_pyramid_network.py
@@ -197,7 +197,8 @@ def __init__(
                 nn.init.constant_(m.bias, 0.0)  # type: ignore
 
         if extra_blocks is not None:
-            assert isinstance(extra_blocks, ExtraFPNBlock)
+            if not isinstance(extra_blocks, ExtraFPNBlock):
+                raise AssertionError
         self.extra_blocks = extra_blocks
 
     def get_result_from_inner_blocks(self, x: Tensor, idx: int) -> Tensor: