Amnesty International: Four Kurdish Prisoners 'Enforced Disappeared' at Serious Risk of Execution

On Thursday, January 18, Amnesty International issued a statement warning of the 'serious risk of execution' for four Kurdish prisoners who have been 'enforced disappeared' and called on Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, to halt their death sentences. The organization pointed to the 'extremely unfair secret trial' and the issuance of death sentences for Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azabar, Mohammad (Hojir) Farahmandi, and Mohsen Mazloom, with these sentences confirmed by the Supreme Court on January 2. Given the 'terrifying increase' in executions in Iran, there is a possibility that these four Kurdish citizens could be executed without their families and lawyers being informed. Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azabar, Mohammad (Hojir) Farahmandi, and Mohsen Mazloom were arrested on July 23, 2022, in Urmia by agents of the 'FARAJA' intelligence organization. Amnesty International noted that the Iranian authorities have refused to disclose the whereabouts of these political prisoners, the charges leading to their death sentences, their lawyers' access to their clients' files, and to provide copies of the sentences issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Court. The organization also referred to a gathering on Sunday, January 14, of the families of these Kurdish prisoners in front of the visitation hall of Evin Prison and their summons to the Ministry of Intelligence, adding that they have been threatened with 'death, torture, and imprisonment' if their protests continue. Furthermore, Abram Paley, the Deputy Special Representative of the U.S. for Iran, condemned the issuance of death sentences for these four Iranian Kurdish citizens last week. He stated on his messaging platform on 'X' that 'the Iranian regime continues to use false charges, forced confessions, and unfair trials to silence political opponents and peaceful protesters.' He added, 'We urge Iranian officials to release all political prisoners who have been unjustly detained and to stop repressing their own people.' Paley condemned the Iranian government's use of the death penalty again on January 16, a day after the execution of 13 Iranian citizens by the Islamic Republic. He noted that the Iranian government's cruelty in 2023 reached new levels with the execution of nearly 800 citizens, many of which were carried out following unfair trials and arbitrary detentions. Regarding the issuance of death sentences for the four Kurdish political prisoners, Joanna Timsi, the wife of Mohsen Mazloom, told Voice of America: 'The issuance of this unjust and extrajudicial sentence comes while they have not had access to an independent lawyer and have also not been able to meet with their families, and we have no information about their whereabouts and health.' Timsi pointed out that 'the only clue about them is a forced confession similar to other confessions that we all know were obtained under what conditions and have no validity or credibility.' She stated: 'For a year and a half, not only I but also the families of all three of these dear ones have been unaware of their whereabouts and situation until now, in complete ignorance, and after holding a sham trial, their death sentences were issued in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Iman Afshari and confirmed in less than 24 hours in Branch 9 of the Supreme Court presided over by Judge Qasem Mozeinani.' Joanna Timsi noted that the face of the Islamic Republic is clear to everyone, adding: 'The pain of all of us is shared, and in fact, there is no family that has not been wounded by this regime.' She said: 'It is clear to everyone that the Islamic Republic is taking revenge on political prisoners for the protests of Jina and also for its intelligence and security failures in the region, which unfortunately, Kurds and Baluchis have always borne the brunt of these crackdowns and repressions.'