Amnesty International Calls for Cancellation of Death Sentence and Release of Varieshe Moradi

On Friday, March 8, Amnesty International called for the cancellation of the death sentence and the release of Varieshe Moradi, a civil activist. The human rights organization pointed to Moradi's 'severely unfair trial' in the Islamic Revolutionary Court, stating that she faces the risk of execution. Amnesty International emphasized that Iranian authorities must cancel any plans for the execution of this political prisoner due to the lack of a fair trial and subsequently release her. Varieshe Moradi was sentenced to death on November 10 of this year by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges of 'baghi' (armed uprising against the government). She was arrested on July 31 of last year in the suburbs of Sanandaj and was transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence's detention center, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, to the women's ward of this prison on January 25 of the same year after the interrogation process was completed. This political prisoner previously revealed in an open letter from prison that during her detention, she was subjected to physical and psychological torture, threats of execution, and gender-based violence. In addition to Moradi, several other political prisoners, such as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Mahdi Hasani, and Behrouz Ehsani Islamloo, are also at risk of execution. The increasing issuance and execution of death sentences by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic has drawn significant criticism worldwide, including repeated condemnations from the United States. A letter from 17 human rights organizations: the lives of Pakhshan Azizi and Varieshe Moradi are at risk. A member of the European Parliament has taken on the case of two political prisoners sentenced to death in Iran. Three Canadian lawmakers have taken on the political sponsorship of three female political prisoners. On International Women's Day, at least 30 women were executed by the Islamic Republic in one year.