40 Lawyers Request Khamenei to Halt Execution of Ramin Hossein Panahi

Forty lawyers have written a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, calling for the halt of the execution order for Ramin Hossein Panahi. Ramin Hossein Panahi was arrested in July 2017 on charges of 'Baghi' or armed rebellion against the Islamic government and 'membership in the Komala Party' and was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court confirmed this sentence in April of this year. In the letter published by ISNA on Wednesday, June 13, the lawyers requested Ayatollah Khamenei to stop the execution of Ramin Hossein Panahi in honor of Eid al-Fitr. The lawyers wrote to the Supreme Leader: 'The charge of Baghi is a subject of Article 287 of the Islamic Penal Code, and according to the customary practice at the top of the Islamic government, the leader has the right to order a review with patience, tolerance, and mercy in dealing with those accused of this charge.' In another part of the letter, they requested that due to the old age of Ramin Hossein Panahi's parents, it would be better to refrain from this execution to 'bring joy to his elderly parents and the honorable people of these regions' and 'to strengthen the spirit of brotherhood and equality among the citizens of Islamic Iran.' Ramin Hossein Panahi had previously told the judge that he had been subjected to 'torture and mistreatment' in prison. According to his lawyer, Hossein Ahmadinejad, his client has never taken up arms and is 'innocent.' The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, published a statement from the Kurdistan judiciary on May 3, stating that Ramin Hossein Panahi was arrested in July 2017 during a 'clash with military forces' and that three individuals accompanying him were killed. The statement claimed that Ramin Hossein Panahi was 'armed with an AK-47, a pistol, and a grenade' at the time of his arrest and 'confessed to fighting with the agents' during interrogations. Amnesty International had previously called for people to write to the Iranian authorities to save Ramin Hossein Panahi from execution and to ensure 'a fair trial.' Among those who have worked for his release is Farideh Moradkhani, the niece of Ayatollah Khamenei. Farideh Moradkhani, along with Mohammad Nourizadeh and several others, was briefly detained on June 13 while returning from Sanandaj after visiting Ramin Hossein Panahi's family.