About 70 Political Prisoners: Inhumane and Reactionary Death Penalty Must Be Abolished

About 70 male and female political prisoners from Evin to Lakan and from Qazalhasar to Greater Tehran Prison issued a joint statement opposing the issuance and execution of death sentences and called for the support of the Iranian people to stop the execution process. The political prisoners who signed this statement, a copy of which was obtained by Voice of America, wrote: The ruling political system in Iran, while 'continuing crisis-inducing domestic and foreign policies, has created a terrifying situation for the people of Iran, seeks solutions in intensifying repression in social, political, and cultural spheres.' They believe that 'the government, concerned about the formation of other protest movements, is trying to maintain the shadow of terror and fear over society by increasing the unprecedented death penalty,' such that with the execution of more than 1,000 individuals, about 75% of the executions carried out in the world in 2024 will be attributed to the people of Iran. The statement, referring to the confirmation of the death sentences of three political prisoners; Pakhshan Aziz, Behrouz Ehsani, and Mahdi Hassani, in the Supreme Court, added that there are fears that these sentences will be executed. News sources reported on Wednesday, January 19, that the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic confirmed the death sentences of Pakhshan Aziz, Behrouz Ehsani Islamlu, and Mahdi Hassani, three political prisoners imprisoned in Evin Prison. Amir Reisiann, the lawyer of Pakhshan Aziz, also announced that the death sentence of this political prisoner was confirmed in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic 'without regard to the numerous defects in the case.' Pakhshan Aziz was sentenced to death and four years in prison on August 2 of this year in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Iman Afshari, on charges of 'rebellion, through membership in opposition groups.' Behrouz Ehsani Islamlu and Mahdi Hassani were also sentenced to death in late September on charges of 'rebellion, waging war against God, corruption on earth, collecting classified information, and conspiracy against national security' in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court presided over by Iman Afshari. 'Membership' in the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran is among the charges attributed to these two prisoners. Currently, at least 54 'political and security' prisoners, including Varisheh Moradi, are on death row in the prisons of the Islamic Republic on charges including 'rebellion, waging war against God, and corruption on earth.' The political prisoners who signed the statement also condemned the principle of the death penalty, considering it 'a form of state-sanctioned murder' and called for the complete abolition of this inhumane and reactionary punishment. They, while supporting Pakhshan Aziz, Behrouz Ehsani, and Mahdi Hassani, urged the Iranian people and international organizations, especially those active in the field of human rights, to 'use all their capacity for effective actions to save the lives of political prisoners facing the death penalty and also for the complete abolition of the death penalty.' Zartosht Ahmadiragheb, Hossein Estaji, Shiva Ismaili, Reza Akbari-Monfared, Sepehr Imam-Jom'e, Loqman Aminpour, Siamak Amini, Mahmoud Ojaqlu, Golrokh Iraei, Mohammad Ashtiani-Iraqi, Shahryar Barati-Nia, Vahid Bani-Amirian, Yadi Bahari, Sakineh Parvaneh, Morteza Parvin, Mohammad Hassan Pooreh, and Hossein Pir are among the signatories of the statement. Other signatories include Mohammad Taghavi, Forough Taqipour, Eisa Choolandim, Ahmadreza Haeri, Mohammad Habibi, Nahid Khodajoo, Nasrin Khazari-Javadi, Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Meysam Dehban-Zadeh, Mehran Raouf, Reza Rezaei, Kamran Rezaei-Far, Davood Razavi, Khosrow Rahnama, Khashayar Safidi, Hamzeh Savari, Mohammad Shafiei, and Shiva Shah-Siah. Hossein Shandehzadeh, Hossein Shahsavari, Moloud Safaei, Zahra Safaei, Sepehr Ziyaei, Fatemeh (Hooriyeh) Ziyaei-Azad, Hooman Taheri, Jamshid Azizi, Babak Alipour, Marzieh Farsi, Nasrollah Fallahi, Elaheh Fooladi, Pouya Ghobadi, Azar Koorvandi, Ismail Gerami, Saeed Masouri, Reza Mohammad-Hosseini-Tameh, Mohammad Ali Mahmoudi, Amir Hossein Moradi, Babak Moradi, Varisheh Moradi, Ali Mozi, Farzad Moazemi Goudarzi, and Javad Manbari also signed the statement. Other signatories include Abolhasan Montazir, Mohammad Najafi, Tahereh Noori, Hooriyeh Nikbakht, Asadollah Hadi, Ali Haroun al-Rashidi, Maryam Yahyavi, Mir-Yousef Younesi, and Ali Younesi. The support of the mothers of the victims from Boukan for Pakhshan Aziz and Varisheh Moradi: 'No to execution.' Mahmoud Amiri-Moghadam: Execution is a tool of repression and intimidation by the Islamic Republic. A group of Iranians gathered in London in support of the 'No to Execution' campaign. A group of Iranians gathered in Hamburg in support of the 'No to Execution' campaign. An unprecedented increase in the execution of women in Iran; the highest in Tehran and Alborz, the lowest in Ardabil. A letter from Reza Mohammad-Hosseini from prison: Execution cannot silence voices. The reaction of 5 political prisoners to death sentences: No pain can heal the rule of the Supreme Leader. Execution of 11 individuals in Iran; Zartosht Ahmadiragheb: The government's intention is to create 'oppression.' Confirmation of the death sentences of three political prisoners in the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the increase in executions in Iran. The 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign: 21 executions coinciding with the beginning of the new year.